Moving On
by PrincessVictory
Summary: Pokeshipping. Misty. Pregnant. And not with Ash's child! Nearly twelve years since Ash's first journey, things have changed dramatically. Becoming Kanto's youngest Champion by the age of sixteen, he and Misty haven't spoken since. She finally decides to move on, and ends up becoming engaged to his long-term rival, Gary Oak. Will they find their way back to each other? R&R please:
1. Birthday Girl

A/N: Hey guys, enjoy my newest story! I still don't own Pokemon :/ and for all the Gary fans, I don't mean to offend you in any way, considering he's become so sweet in the newer episodes, so please don't take it personal if you see some Gary-bashing. Unintentional, by all means, for that to happen. Enjoy anyways:)

Chapter 1: Birthday Girl

_Ash._ It had been nearly six years since she'd seen that face, heard that warm, comforting voice. Seeing him here, on the front page of _Pallet Town Times_, brought back a myriad of mixed emotions, namely rejection and brokenness, with just a twinge of regret. Not to mention anger. So much anger built up, all because he seemed to have forgotten her existence completely.

Not only did he never visit, it was like they were complete strangers when he was in town. He never called, and didn't bother mentioning her at all when it came to being interviewed constantly. Was she really that unimportant in his life? Or was she just that forgettable? The article showed a picture of Kanto's youngest Champion cradling a newborn in his arms, alongside another of her old friends she'd lost contact with, May.

Apparently he'd moved on as well, Misty figured, clutching a hand to the little miracle growing inside of her. At least she wasn't the only one who'd decided to start a family. "Honey, I'm home!" Misty discreetly stuck the newspaper in with her numerous magazines and books scattered across the glass coffee table, and ran to meet Gary Oak, her fiancé for nearly three months now, in the kitchen. "Sorry I was late. Grandpa kept me a few extra hours."

"Really? That's the third night this week. I sure hope everything's okay over at the lab." Gary had taken a job as a researcher for his grandfather, Professor Oak, who was slowly succumbing to the idea of retirement because of his old age. He'd decided long ago that Gary was to take on his role as the Pokémon Professor, and entrusted him with the care of the laboratory along with the many Pokémon trainers had stored there.

Gary happily accepted, already having decided to become a researcher anyway, and had since been learning everything he could from his grandfather. Though that may have been true, Misty could see the anxiety on his face, and knew he'd been somewhere else as well. Somewhere he was completely unwilling to bring up. "Yeah, everything's fine. You know how Grandpa is. He just doesn't know when to quit. Anyways, is that cake I smell?"

"Uh, yeah," Misty replied, caught off guard by the sudden change of subject. "Delia brought it by."

"Really? It smells great. What's the occasion?"

"Oh, no occasion really. I guess she just decided to make one." Misty sighed. How could he forget her birthday like this?

"What's wrong, Misty? It looks like something's bothering you," Gary asked, shedding his white lab coat and hanging it up by the door.

"Wha? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all," she answered, averting her gaze as she scuffed her foot against the kitchen's checkerboard tile.

"No, wait. Gah, I forgot again, didn't I?" he wondered, wiping his head in frustration. "I'm sorry, Misty. Happy twenty-second birthday, if it isn't too late."

Gary lifted up her chin so she was forced to look him in the eyes. He gently caressed her cheek, whispering, "Love you, Misty." He kissed her lightly, not giving her time to answer him back, though she never did anyway. She'd never told him she loved him before, not even once, and certainly hadn't planned on telling him anytime soon. Not tonight, anyhow.

"Listen, I know it's your birthday and you've wanted to spend it with me this whole time, but would you mind if I got some rest instead? We can spend all of tomorrow together, since I'm off on Fridays. It'd really mean a lot to me," Gary said, looking straight into her bright green eyes as he searched for an answer.

"I guess. If it really means that much to you," Misty replied, gazing at him affectionately. He may not ever be as kind or as charming as Ash, but she really had grown to care for him, no matter what anyone else had to say about it. At least he didn't leave her, like Ash had.

"Thanks, sweetie." He kissed her again. "'Night, Misty."

"'Night," she answered, watching him walk upstairs to the master bedroom, where he'd decided to start sleeping _alone_ after she'd gotten pregnant with their child. She slept in the guest room across the hall. He told her simply that it was for the best, but she knew better. In fact, he'd kept his distance a lot more lately, now that you could tell she was carrying a baby. Their baby. Gah, she'd been so stupid.

He'd convinced her that they were going to get married someday anyway, so why wait? And she believed him. Guess the alcohol helped to further _that_ misconception. True, she'd had one of the best nights of her entire life, but so far, it'd cost her everything she held dear. Her sisters, disappointed in her actions, broke contact with her (though Daisy called every now and again to check up on her).

Ash's mother, once so loving and sweet toward Misty, had become slightly estranged after finding out what had happened. Ash didn't even _know_. And even now the fear grew inside her that Gary would be the next to walk out of her life completely. As if she needed anymore heartbreak where that came from. She walked over to the cerulean couch, once again picking up the newspaper that had consumed her thoughts just a few minutes ago.

This time, she forced herself to look at it, if only to see how much he'd grown, how much he'd matured. And to memorize every part of him she could. He still had that boyish face, with those energetic chocolate eyes that seemed to take on a life of their own, even in the picture. His raven black hair was still just as unkempt, though it was quite a bit longer than it used to be, back when they'd travelled together all of twelve years ago. He still wore a hat, in fact, it was the very same one he'd worn while travelling through Kanto and Johto, and his clothes hadn't changed very much either.

He was definitely taller, probably even taller than she was now, but he was still the same boy she'd known and loved what seemed like a lifetime ago. Pikachu was perched perfectly on his right shoulder, his best friend and favorite Pokémon in the entire known Pokémon World. She looked away, feeling tears well up in her eyes as she thought back to all the wonderful times they'd shared, all the melancholy sweetness of a distant past she'd tried so hard to forget. And here fate was, taunting her once again as she stared at the front door, with the faint hope that he would come walking through it and ask for her to take him back. Not that they were ever together to begin with. But of course, that'd never happen, as she very well knew, yet a girl could always dream, right? With one glance at the clock Misty realized how late it was getting, and she reluctantly decided to turn in for the night.

Placing the newspaper in its previous hiding spot, she hobbled up the rickety wooden stairs and made her way into the guest room. It was a bit small, with a full-size cerulean bed, two oak dressers, and a redwood nightstand taking up most of the space given. The floors were plush carpet, and water Pokémon were splattered across the walls, making the room all the more enjoyable for the worn-out girl who'd had such a passion for them in the travelling years of her life. She still did, though she'd left all but her Staryu in the watchful eyes of her sisters. She probably should've left Staryu too, but she just couldn't bear letting go of _all_ her Pokémon like that.

So she kept it. After changing into her bright blue pajamas, she climbed into her bed, wishing quietly for sleep to take her away for the night. And finally, after tossing and turning for about the billionth time, she fell asleep, drifting ever so fitfully from the land of reality straight into the world of dreams.

_She was standing in a field full of blue roses. The sweet breeze blew slightly, carrying a stray petal every now and again, and the sun was just sinking over the horizon. Beside her, down on one knee, was a man she had no trouble recognizing, extending his hand forth to reveal a rose he'd plucked just for her. "But, I thought you'd moved on already," she uttered, unwilling to look into his melted chocolate eyes._

* * *

"_I told you, Mist. I could never do something like that! I just wish you'd believe me." There he went, using that same stupid nickname he came up with all those years ago. She wanted to sigh in exasperation, but instead, all she could do is gaze down at him in disbelief._

"_I never said I didn't," she retorted, not daring to look him in the eyes as she grasped the frail rose he'd placed in her hand. It looked so beautiful, in a simplistic, natural way. Though she knew as well as he did what a blue rose meant._

_As if hearing her thoughts aloud, he answered quietly, "We can still make this work, if you'll just listen to me—"_

"_No, Ash, we can't. We never could. Not then. Certainly not now. Most likely not ever." She bit her lip, wanting so badly to take all those words back, no matter how true they may have been._

"_Misty…" he trailed off, not having any will left in him to fight back, to try and keep her from forcing him away again, like she always did. "Don't you realize you're not only hurting yourself, in the end, but you're also hurting the one you once said you loved," he answered somewhat bitterly, standing up to walk away._

"_Ash, no!" she exclaimed, reaching for his arm like he was her last shred of hope._

"_What, Misty? You were the one who said we couldn't ever be together. You were the one who never admitted your feelings that you'd built up for so many years. And even now you're the one forsaking all that love for your one chance at learned happiness. Is that what you really wanted, Misty? To wake up every morning to the one person that hates the one you loved with such a burning passion that it pains him for you to even mention me? Is it? Or is it the only choice you had left, seeing as how I'd apparently moved on as well? Things aren't always what they seem, Misty. They normally never are. But now you're forced to live with your decision, and I'm forced to live with it too, whether I deserved a choice or not."_

_She was speechless. Ash had never said anything like that to her in his life. How was today supposed to be any different? After finally comprehending his words, she decided to answer his questions, if only to appease the heartbreak she'd caused. "Well, it's not like you gave me much of a choice, Ash. You _left_ me. Can't you even begin to imagine how much that hurt? You, you didn't even bother to check up on me after you left! 'Bye, Misty!' are the only two words I've heard you say in the past six years! Do you really think I'm the one who made the wrong decisions?"_

_He stared over at her, looking straight into her clear green eyes as if he could swim inside of them. "Yeah, they're pupils, God gave them to me! Why won't you answer? Ash?" she asks, frantically waving her hand in front of his unresponsive face. And then, everything went black, aside from Misty and the blue rose, faintly sparkling with a luminescence of its own. _

_She suppressed a sigh of relief as she gazed at it intently, and that's when she felt herself falling, falling into the gloomy darkness as it swallowed her whole._

* * *

Misty woke with a start, panting heavily as she collected her scattered feelings. _Another dream_, she thought, grasping tightly at the nonexistent blue rose in her right hand. It always ended this way. Ash would give her something, they'd fight, everything would go black, and next thing she knew, she'd be falling endlessly into the black abyss beneath her. Last time, he had given her a ring embedded with deep green jadeite, the rarest gem in the entire world.

"This love is rarer than the stone inside this ring," he went on to say, crumbling her heart even more with every word. _But it was only just a dream,_ she reminded herself as she crawled out of bed. Still, it haunted her thoughts continually because of how real it all seemed. Even if blue roses aren't found in nature, she felt as though she were still standing in that field, face to face with the boy of her dreams. _Well, I suppose that's all he'll ever be now anyways._

Misty slowly trudged down the steps, being guided solely by her sense of smell. The scent of pancakes, bacon, and eggs filled the air as she crossed through the kitchen into the dining room. As she walked inside, she saw the glass table set for two, with Gary heading over to it with their plates. When he finally realized she'd come down, he set the plates down and escorted her to her seat, giving her a good morning kiss before he took the seat across. "A beautiful birthday breakfast to an even more beautiful birthday girl. I'm sorry I couldn't do it yesterday, or I promise you I would've."

"Oh, no, it's fine," Misty replied, playing with her food aimlessly as her mind wandered elsewhere.

Noticing the worry in her eyes, Gary asked, "Another nightmare?" She nodded, unwilling to explain. Like she ever told him what they were about anyway. All he knew was that they were happening, and no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't seem to stop them. "You're going to have to tell me sooner or later what they're about. You know that right?"

She shook her head violently. "No, you wouldn't understand. Nobody can ever know what they're about. It-It's just too painful. Please, don't make me do that."

Though her voice was firm, her emotions told a different story. She felt ready to cry her eyes out, to tell him every single thing that had ever happened in those dreams, but she knew it'd only hurt him more if she did that. She knew he'd be better off ignorant about her past, ignorant about those dreams, and would do anything humanly possible to keep it that way. Considering he was naturally a very indifferent person, it wasn't very complicated to keep those things secret. But lately, it seemed like every chance he got he'd ask her those questions, wondering what happened so long ago that compelled her to never mention them again.

Of course, she'd always found a way to brush it off, knowing full well the destruction her past could cause in their future together, as husband and wife, and especially as a family. He sighed, feeling once again pushed off to the side like a small child's unwanted doll. "Fine, I won't," he answered softly, almost too soft for her to hear. After finishing breakfast, Misty decided to get dressed for the day, sporting a long black t-shirt and her favorite pair of worn-out jeans. She grabbed her red gym bag, the only thing she'd kept after all this time, and made her way back downstairs.

"Ready to go, Misty?" Gary asked, wearing an outfit similar to the one he wore back in Sinnoh, where he worked as a field researcher for Professor Rowan. She nodded, crossing over to take his free hand as they walked out the door. "Well then, where would you like to go first?" She sighed, realizing her forgetfulness.

"I'm sorry, Gary, I never gave it a second thought after last night. Surprise me?"

"You got it," he replied, pulling her hurriedly along. "Come on! Don't want to be late, right?"

"Wait, where are we going?" Misty asked, sprinting alongside him as fast as a pregnant lady could go. Which wasn't very far, considering she was nearly eight months along.

"You'll see," he answered, smiling over at her. Well, if it got her mind off things for a while, she really could've cared less. So she followed along, looking forward to whatever peace the day's events could bring her. Or, the peace she hoped it could bring, anyway.


	2. Decisions, Decisions

Chapter 2: Decisions, Decisions

"Trish, you're very nice and all, and don't get me wrong, today has been wonderful, but I just can't see us as any more than friends. I hope you understand," the raven-haired hero told the blonde walking beside him as they made their way to her one-bedroom apartment. This was probably the fiftieth time he'd said that in the past year. Why couldn't he just settle on a single girl he's dated?

"Yeah, it's fine. I totally understand. We _can_ still be friends though, right Ash?"

"You can bet on it!" he answered as Pikachu poked its head outside of his backpack. She smiled over at the little yellow mouse and nodded quietly in affection.

"Well, I guess I'd best get going. Things to do, places to go. Call me?" Trish asked, meeting Ash's eyes for the first time that night. Her irises were an emerald green, reminding the boy even more of a certain someone he used to know and hadn't seen in almost six years.

"Uh, yeah, sure," he replied, nodding as she hugged him and ambled up the porch steps. He'd lost all track of thought, like he normally did whenever he thought of that girl. That irrational, hotheaded, melodramatic redhead that travelled with him when he first started his journey as a Pokémon Trainer twelve years ago. Why did this even have to happen to him? He hadn't the slightest clue, and no matter how many logical answers he thought he had for that question, they all came down to the same thing: he missed her, missed her like crazy.

He began walking back home, contemplating everything that had happened over the years. He'd just went to spend the day with May and her newborn only two days ago, so why couldn't he bring himself to go visit _Misty?_ In truth, he felt horrible for not going to see her sooner, but it seemed like every time he finally got up the courage, something else prevented him from making the short trip. And just as well, a call would never suffice, because he had so many things that he wanted to tell her. So many things that he felt couldn't be explained through a little green video box and its even smaller telephone receiver.

And as much as it pained him to think about it, she might not even _want _to talk to him. Not after the way he'd done her. Not after the way he acted toward her all those years. He knew about her crush, he always had, but always acted oblivious because he was scared. Scared of what, one may ask?

He was scared of many things: Scared of losing her as a friend; scared he'd mess everything up; scared of getting hurt; and, most of all, terrified of his own feelings for her. Though he'd most likely never admit it, he kind of liked her too, all those years ago. But that was the past, and there wasn't anything he could do to change it now. Maybe if he'd just told her, he wouldn't have to worry about breaking another innocent girl's heart. But what if he would've broken the heart of his best friend?

He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he'd done that. When he'd finally made it home, he decided to think about something else. Wouldn't want his mother worrying about him too much, right? "Hey, Mom, I'm home."

"Welcome back, honey. How did the date go?" Delia asked, crossing over to hug her son, who had grown quite taller than her over the years.

"It went fine, I guess," he muttered, not really wanting to talk about it.

"Are you sure? You don't really seem very happy about it. Did something go wrong?"

"No, not at all. I just don't think Trish is the girl for me," he answered, sitting down at their kitchen table as Delia handed him a glass of water.

"I see. Still searching for that perfect girl. You'll find her someday, Ash. Reminding me, did you ever stop by to wish Misty a happy birthday yesterday?"

"Of course I did," he lied, hoping she wouldn't see through his ruse. It wasn't that he'd forgotten, he just couldn't bring himself to go see her again. Not when he knew who she was with now. True, he and Gary were no longer enemies, but still, it kind of felt like a betrayal of their friendship to hear that she was betrothed to him. Yet another reason why he didn't relish the idea of visiting Misty.

"Wonderful, honey. You know, she misses you a lot when you leave town. I'm glad you're keeping contact with her, though. It really means a lot to Misty." Did his mother really not know that they hadn't spoken in years? Or was this her way of saying he needed to talk to her now, while he still could?

"Well…" he trailed off, feeling guilty for not telling his mother sooner.

"Yes? What is it, Ash?"

"I, uh, haven't exactly been 'keeping contact' with Misty over the years. In fact, I haven't even _seen_ her in six years. Aside from yesterday, that is."

He knew she could see through that last little bit, so he wasn't surprised when she looked at him incredulously and scolded, "Ash Ketchum! You can't be serious! And she never even bothered to tell me…Why would you do that to her?"

"Seriously? Why would _I_ do that to _her?_ I don't see her trying to talk to me after all these years. She's moved on, Mom. Face it; we all have." He didn't mean to sound so snappy, or so rude, but he knew it was the only way he felt he could get his mother to understand.

"Honestly, I have a hard time believing that. And you mean to tell me you didn't even wish her a happy birthday like you said you had?"

"Well, no, I guess I didn't," he huffed, angry at himself for telling her everything like that. "It's not like I've been home very much these past few years to see her very much anyways." That part was true, at least. Out of his six years as Champion, he'd only been home a week every six to eight months, depending on how many challenges he had, or events he was to attend. Overall, he hadn't had very much time to see anyone, much less someone who probably never wanted to see him again anyhow.

"Still, you could've called," his mother stated bluntly, taking up for Misty as if she were her own daughter. She had always been very protective of Misty like that.

"I know, and I was stupid for not doing that," he finally conceded, not wanting to fight with his mother any more than was necessary. "But it's too late now."

"It may be, but it also may not be. I can't tell you what you should do, but I _can_ tell you that no matter what happens, someone's going to get hurt in the process. I love you, Ash, so much. I hope you know that nothing could ever change that. I just trust and pray you'll have the courage to make the right choice this time, no matter how much it could cost you."

After hugging him one more time, she decided to go on to bed, leaving Ash at the kitchen table to ponder her somewhat puzzling words. _Now what am I supposed to do?_


	3. An Unwelcome Visit

Chapter 3: An Unwelcome Visit

"Excuse me, is Gary home?" a petite brunette asked Misty as she opened the front door. They had just gotten home from their day spent at her sister's water show, and Misty was clearly tuckered out from the day's events. The Sensational Sisters wouldn't even bother to look her in the eye, except Daisy, who smiled and waved to her during the performance.

Trying to push the thoughts away, she looked at the girl and replied, "Uh, yeah, do you—"

"Umiko! What are you doing here? I thought I told you not to…" Gary trailed off, not wanting Misty to become any more suspicious than she already was of him.

"Who's Umiko, Gary?" Misty asked, annoyed that he'd kept such a secret from her.

"Oh, uh, nobody. She's one of Grandpa's field researchers. Umiko, I'd like you to meet Misty, my uh, my fiancée," he replied, looking at Umiko as if telling her to follow along for now. She looked shocked at his words. He'd never mentioned even having a _girlfriend,_ let alone a _fiancée!_

_Well, might as well play along,_ she thought, looking at Misty sweetly. "Er, yeah, that's me! I've heard so much about you! It's nice to finally meet Gary's fiancée!"

"Um, thanks," Misty sighed, not totally believing the words the girl had spoken. Somehow, it's like she just _knew_ something was off. "Now, to get back to the point, what did you want, exactly?"

"Oh, I wanted to—"

"Tell me something. Something important. About the lab, right, Umiko?" She nodded joyfully in agreement.

"Yeah, that's it! Could I borrow him, just for a sec?"

"I guess. If it's really so important," Misty relented, looking at Gary with a look that said "We'll talk about this later." He nodded, kissing her forehead and heading out the door.

"Don't worry, Misty. I'll be back sooner than you think." He shut the door behind himself, letting her know that whatever must have been so important was for his ears only. She sighed once more, realizing that sleep was the last thing on her mind. She had a strange urge to call Ash, but knew at this hour, he was undoubtedly already asleep anyways.

And why should she want to talk to someone who didn't even bother to pick up the phone himself? Besides, he probably wasn't even back home yet. So she rejected the thought, and headed to the guest room, lying down for a much needed rest.

* * *

"Umiko, you knew not to come here. So why did you do it anyways?" Gary asked as he looked straight into his girlfriend's pale blue eyes.

"Well, it's not like I thought you were hiding your _pregnant fiancée _in there or anything, right? Why would you keep this a secret from me? I thought we had something special!" Her voice was rising with every word, making him realize how upset she really was.

"We did, Umiko. We still do! Trust me, this isn't going to last much longer anyways. All I need is for that Ketchum boy to call, just once, and the whole thing's over."

"But, the Champion? Why would he call her? And just why would that have anything to do with your relationship?"

"Calm down, Umiko, calm down. Yes, the Champion. They used to travel together. And if I'm right, she still has feelings for the kid. That stupid kid! I mean, at first, it was okay. Perfectly understandable. But lately, she's been having these crazy nightmares, and I assume they all point back to _him_. At least if he'd call we'd have a reason to fight. She'd be the bad guy, get mad, leave even, and then things would go back to normal. Don't get me wrong, I really care about her, but she just has too much _baggage_."

"So you're telling me you're going to let your fiancée leave, just like that? All because you couldn't handle the fact that she thinks the Champion is cute? Honestly, even I think he is," Umiko answered, turning to walk away from the two-timer. He grabbed her by the arm, unwilling to let his beloved mistress leave him like this.

"Umiko, you're still not getting it. See, this is more than about how 'cute' the Champion is. She's _in love_ with the Champion! I even found a newspaper on the coffee table this morning that she'd hidden from me about him! Can't you see that I'm only doing what's best for both of us? So that you and I can finally be together, for real?"

His words enticed the young lover, making it near impossible to refuse such a tempting offer. However, she found it in herself to walk away, saying, "I'm sorry, Gary. But I just can't picture us that way, like you can. Tell her the truth, lover boy, or you just might find out that someone else already has." She strutted away, leaving him depressed and alone in the chilly weather. _What in the world have I just done?_

* * *

_It's freezing out here, thought Misty as she made her way through the busy streets. A typical day in a hectic city. The breeze nipped at her nose, papers were flying everywhere, cars and people were rushing past, and the sun couldn't be seen over the skyscrapers that towered above everything else in the metropolis. How she ended up in this strange city, she had no idea, but somehow she knew where she needed to go. Find the boy, a strange voice repeated in her head once again._

_The boy? Just who was this boy? And why should she be the one to find him? She looked down at her feet, noticing a red and white hat lay crumpled on the ground. She picked it up, dusting it off as best she could, when she saw the little green mark that had once seemed so familiar many years ago. _

_Ash's hat? How did this get here? She wondered, sticking it on her head so she wouldn't lose it in the crowd. She kept walking, looking around for any sign of the raven-haired boy that the strange hat belonged to. "Found my hat, eh?"_

_She swerved to face Ash, who had grown impeccably tall over the years. She had to look up a bit to catch his eyes, and noticed how worried he looked. Is this the boy that stupid voice kept annoying me about? She began to hand him the hat, but he stopped her, saying, "No, Mist. Keep it. I have plenty of others where that came from. Thanks for finding it though. I just know you'll take great care of it."_

_She wanted to object, but knew there was no use. She put the hat back on, turning to walk away once more. "Wait, can't we spend some time together? I know you've got this busy schedule and all, but we haven't seen each other in so long! C'mon, this once, just for me? There's a coffee shop right around the corner. And I know how much you like coffee."_

_True enough, she considered, looking up at him affectionately. Snap out of it, Misty! You have to get back home, before—then everything went black, as it always did, except for the hat she was holding, and herself of course. She looked at it, noticing how worn-out and old it had become. Then she began to fall._

* * *

_He just _had_ to leave for work this early, didn't he?_ Misty wondered as she poured herself a cup of coffee. It figured that he would do something like that, not even bothering to explain why in the world that girl showed up at their doorstep last night. It wasn't even nine a.m. yet, and Gary normally didn't leave for work till ten on Saturdays. She sighed, dropping two cubes of sugar into the cup and taking a sip. Ah, that hit the spot.

She made her way over to the light brown couch, grabbing the remote and clicking on the TV. After flipping through nearly every channel, she shut it back off, not finding anything she wanted to see. _Hm, I have an idea,_ she thought, going to throw the cup in the sink and rushing upstairs to get dressed. She decided on a light blue tee and sweatpants, pulling up her hair in her signature sideways ponytail, and walking out the door.


	4. To Ash's Surprise

Chapter 4: To Ash's Surprise

All Ash wanted to do was sleep. But the banging on the door prevented that lovely fantasy. He rolled his eyes, stretching his legs as he climbed out of bed.

"Is, uh, Ash here?" he heard a voice ask from inside the kitchen.

"Why, yes, he's asleep in his room. Uh, Misty?" _What is she doing here?_ Ash wondered, creeping out in the hallway to hear her better. He peeked around the corner, if only to see what she looked like after all these years. Her back was turned to him, but he could tell she was upset.

"I knew I shouldn't have come here," she sighed, shaking her head in frustration. "I just came to thank you for the cake. It really was beautiful, and it's sweet of you to remember my birthday, and, and…" she trailed off, unable to express her true feelings of gratitude and love for Delia, her surrogate mother. The one who had taken her in at first, when her sisters broke contact. The one who helped her get on her feet, and tried to convince her that moving in with Gary was a bad idea.

Though Misty never admitted it, she also felt it was a bad decision, but also felt like she had no other choice. He promised something that her unborn child needed in life: A loving father. Delia hugged her, holding her close, whispering something that Ash couldn't quite make out. "You're always welcome here," she told her, and even though Ash couldn't hear it, he understood what his mother was telling her.

"But I couldn't impose on you like that! And, and Ash…" She never told Delia that they hadn't spoken in six years, and to tell her now would feel like a betrayal somehow, a betrayal of her trust, as well as a betrayal of Misty's emotions.

"I know you two haven't exactly been on speaking terms in the past few years. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, but you're going to have to face him sooner or later anyway. This time, he's home for good. Until he finds his own place, of course."

"But, what do you…mean?" Misty asked, clearly confused, with her brow furrowed and a slight frown visible. "I thought he was Champion?"

"I mean what I say. Yes, he's still Champion, and will hold that title until he's finally defeated, but he resigned his position to someone else for the year. Someone he found to be very skilled and deserving of the position. He'll start back, but felt like he earned this much of a break, and it at least gave him time to settle down, if only for a short amount of time. And, truth be told, I think he came back for _you_."

"No, he can't quit for me! He knows I've moved on. He may not know…everything, but still, he knows I'm with Gary now!" Her voice rose in agitation as she took in the meaning of Delia's words. "Wait, he'll be in town all year?"

"He may _know_ all these things, but until he's seen it for himself, I doubt his heart will let him believe it. Besides, he needed the break either way. And maybe it'll give you two some time to actually _see_ each other. Honestly, Misty, why didn't you tell me you haven't spoken to him? You know you can trust me, at least, I hope you do."

His mother looked straight at him, knowing full well he was eavesdropping. _Caught_, he realized backing away from the corner. "I-I know I should've said something; I just couldn't seem to do it for some reason…What are you looking at?" Misty asked, turning around to where Delia's eyes were focused. Ash had already disappeared from sight, but she still knew he'd been listening.

"Oh, nothing," Delia lied, looking back at Misty, who was preparing to leave. "You don't have to go, you know."

"I know, Mrs. Ketchum, but I really must be on my way. I didn't even plan on staying this long. Sorry to keep you. Um, uh, tell Ash I stopped by, I guess. Whenever he gets his sleepyhead up," she joked, attempting to lighten the mood.

"I will, Misty. Thanks for stopping by, and please, don't hesitate to come back anytime!" Misty walked out the door, Delia shutting it behind her, and suddenly Ash realized just how much he'd truly missed her. "Ash, I know you're up." Like he hadn't already realized that.

"Yeah, Mom. Just getting ready to go out," he lied, hoping she wouldn't ask _why_ he had been eavesdropping on them just a few minutes ago.

"Oh, okay. Misty said to tell you she stopped by."

"Misty stopped by? So that's who you were talking to," he answered, changing into his outfit for the day and walking into the kitchen.

"As if you don't already know," she replied, handing her son an apple as he made for the door. "Forgetting someone?" Pikachu turned the corner, shaking its head sleepily as it looked at Delia in befuddlement.

"Oh, yeah, sorry Pikachu," Ash apologized, picking up the little yellow mouse and letting it jump onto his shoulder.

"Might want to grab a coat, it's supposed to rain later on," Delia urged, handing him his father's old trench coat. "Windy too."

"I'm fine, Mom, honest!"

"Please, honey. At least put it in your backpack."

"Okay then," he relented, stuffing the coat in his bag and getting up to go. "'Bye, Mom, love you!"

"Love you too, sweetie. Have a good day. Please, just try to stop by Misty's before you come home. I'm sure it'd mean a lot." He nodded, unsure whether he was telling another lie or not.

"Yeah, I will." He rushed out the door, heading full speed for nowhere in particular, just knowing he wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.


	5. A Twisted Confession

A/N Sorry it seems to take so long, you guys! And I just want to thank everyone so much for reading and bearing with me for so long

Chapter 5: A Twisted Confession

"Honey, where have you been? I came home a bit early to spend time with you, but you weren't even here. I was starting to worry," Gary told Misty, circling his arms around her in a tight embrace.

"Oh, I, uh, ran over to Delia's to thank her for the cake. Then I stopped by the store—" she looked at the clock, just now realizing how late it had gotten. It was only five, but the sun was already gone, and thick grey clouds had quickly replaced the cold winter's night sky. In truth, she'd also stopped by the Water Stadium to see her sisters, which would explain her tardiness, but Gary wouldn't give her time to finish.

"Delia's? Isn't Ash back home, now that I think of it?" Gary asked, breaking the embrace and looking straight into Misty's eyes.

"Well, he is, but I didn't—"

"And don't you still, I don't know, have _feelings_ for that kid? I saw the paper, Misty. I _know_ about the dreams. Why don't you tell me why you were _really_ at Delia's?" Misty was speechless. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Gary, accusing her of _cheating_ on him with Ash! Preposterous!

"For your information, he was asleep! I didn't even see him! Haven't seen him in six years! Don't look surprised, Gary! I've moved on, and so has he. Don't even think about turning this all on me. What about Umiko? Why was _she_ really here last night?" Misty was furious, ready to knock the daylights out of Gary for being so pretentious.

"Don't even go there, Misty! At least _I'm _not harboring feelings for someone who doesn't even want to see me anymore!" She knew those last words to be a lie, but still couldn't help it when a few tears escaped down her cheeks.

"Why would you even bother to bring this up, Gary? You know what this does to me! What about the baby? What about the promise you made?"

"Promise? Ha, I don't remember any promise. As for the baby, what about it?" She was officially appalled, and quickly realized what she was going to have to do.

"Wh-What do you mean 'what about it?' Don't you even care what happens to your child?"

"Actually, I really do. You'd understand, if you only knew why I was doing this. You'll thank me later, you know," Gary smirked.

"Doing what? Breaking my heart? If that's your plan, well, it worked," she sighed, looking down at the hardwood flooring, unable to face him.

"That isn't what I'm trying to do at all. It's for the best, Misty. I do love you, I hope you know that much," Gary replied, leaning forward to kiss her one last time. She pulled away, not wanting anything else from such a lying hypocrite.

"No you don't, you never did!" She pushed him aside, her spirit completely broken, her soul utterly shattered. This isn't the Gary she'd known and come to love.

What was wrong with him? Why was he saying all this? _It doesn't matter. _She rushed upstairs, grabbing the biggest duffel bag she could find, and started to pack. "I'll call _Ash_ for you, if you'd like him to come get you. It _is_ raining after all," he called upstairs, saying Ash's name with an acidity that clearly showed his hatred toward the Champion.

"No, I don't want anything else from you, you phony! This was all just a big lie, wasn't it? That girl, Umiko, she was your girlfriend, wasn't she? You know what, I don't even care anymore." She grabbed what she could, leaving anything and everything Gary had ever gotten for her, and raced down the staircase.

"Have a happy life with Umiko, and here, give her this ring while you're at it!" she screamed, throwing the engagement ring at him as she stomped out the door. It was pouring violently, letting Misty know this was going to be a long, sleepless night. With nowhere to go, she walked over to the curb and sat there, letting the rain come down on her. At least the rain covered the tears that disobediently streaked her cheeks.

She put her face in her hands, a torrent of emotions rushing out all at once, namely hurt, anguish, regret, and rage. Why had she blindly allowed things to go on like this for so long? He never truly cared, as she could see now. He didn't even care about the _baby._ Their baby! His child.

She felt so stupid, so mad at herself for not seeing this coming. Gary may have changed over the years, but she was a fool to think he'd changed completely. _Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me,_ she thought, looking up as she realized someone was standing behind her.

"Who are—" she stopped, unable to say anything else. He had a heavy brown trench coat on, with a hood covering his eyes. She couldn't tell who it was, but she felt like she knew him somehow. Had known him for years. He nodded, and without a word, sat beside her, taking her hand and holding her close.

She fell freely into the embrace, letting his warmth comfort her from the freezing wetness around her. "I-I tried, tried so hard for him. I left Delia's just to appease him, just, just to make him happy! And now I feel like he's slowly been pushing me away this whole time, like he was waiting for just the right moment to kick me out. Or to twist it into making me _want_ to leave him. Seriously, what kind of man does that to his soon to be wife? Not to mention their…" she trailed off, feeling the sudden desire to keep her baby a secret. God knew why she didn't want to tell this man, but for some reason she just felt as though she _couldn't._

"It's just, I don't know, unbelievable of him to do such a thing! I-I trusted him! Oh, I really messed up this time! I don't have anywhere to go…My sisters won't even acknowledge me. I mean, Delia said I could come back, but I just can't be a burden like that to her, not anymore. Not after everything she's done to help me. And Ash—no, it's out of the question."

The person softly stroked her hair, taking every word she said to heart. He lifted up her face, cradling her chin in his hands, so that he could get a good long look at Misty, as if committing her appearance to memory. He helped her up, scrambling to get up as well, and gestured for her to walk with him. She followed, encouraged by the strange man she somehow knew, and he offered to share the coat that was incredibly too big for him. Snuggling close to him, she trudged on, still wondering just who her angel in disguise might be.


	6. It Was You?

A/N: Shout-out to nyislandergirl, you were right about one thing! ;) Ready to find out the man inside the coat? Good luck on this chapter!

Chapter 6: It Was You?

"Misty, are you okay? Oh, you're soaked through to the bone! Here, let me help you with that!" Delia exclaimed, grabbing the duffel bag from Misty as soon as she walked in the door. Why would this guy bring her here? Maybe her blabbering on and on about Delia made him do it, or perhaps, he had other, more personal reasons.

"No, no, Mrs. Ketchum, I've got it," she answered, walking over to the table.

"This just won't do, Misty. Follow me, I'll get you cleaned up right away," Delia said, grabbing Misty by the hand and taking her to the master bedroom. Delia quickly began to fish through her drawers for some pajamas to give the sodden girl, and settled on a set of flannel Jigglypuff PJs. "They're kind of old, but I think they'll do just fine. The bathroom's right down the hall, though I'm sure you already knew that. Just freshen up in there, and dinner will be ready when you come out."

"Uh, thanks, Mrs. Ketchum, but—"

"Please, call me Delia. You know I always told you to anyhow."

"Oh, okay, thanks, Delia, but you don't have to do all this—"

"Nonsense," she stated, interrupting Misty once more. "I do it because I want to, not because I have to. Now go on, don't want you to catch pneumonia or freeze to death or anything." Misty nodded, walking out quietly to the bathroom. After changing into the pajamas, she noticed that the man in the coat was still standing at the door. She walked over there, still intrigued by his mysterious presence.

"Who are you?" she asked, looking straight at him, straight into his chocolate eyes. She gasped, the last puzzle piece finally popping into place. "Ash," she breathed, unable to look away from him.

"Sure took you long enough," he smirked, removing the hood to reveal his unkempt raven hair. Pikachu clambered out of his backpack, looking slightly dazed as he took in the scene before him. "Haven't changed a bit I see. Nice to see you too, Misty. Don't look so surprised; I think you knew who I was all along. Misty?"

She had dropped her wet clothes, looking at him with her mouth agape. Strangely, he was right. She had known it was him all along. Apparently her brain was too fried to take it in earlier, though her heart knew exactly who she'd been talking to. He waved his hand in front of her eyes, and when she finally blinked, he sighed in relief.

"Good, you're still responding. Thought I was dreaming there for a second. You okay?" he asked bluntly, looking at her in concern.

"Of course I'm not okay, you idiot! I practically just got kicked out of my fiancée's house, I have nowhere to go, and I'm seeing someone who pretty much ditched me six years ago for the title of Champion! I don't know about you, but I'd say I have the right to not be okay for once in my life," Misty replied, ready to stomp off into the guest room she'd be sleeping in for the night.

"Okay, okay, stupid question. I get it, jeesh. Don't gotta be so touchy." Oops. Wrong word yet again.

"'Touchy?' I'm 'touchy?'" she asked angrily.

"No, Mist, that, that isn't what I meant—"

"Sure it isn't. It never is." How could she have been so stupid? Why would she allow herself to go with him, knowing full well it would only lead to disaster? Her words struck like matches, igniting a fire in his heart he hadn't felt in years.

"Welcome back, Misty. It's good to see you after all these years." His kindness caught her off guard, and his strange smile made her wonder just what in the world he was up to now. It didn't matter though, she was mad at him, right?

"Don't play with me like that, Ash! This is serious," she exclaimed, sitting at the table with her face in her hands. She looked ready to cry, but refused to. She couldn't cry in front of _Ash_. Not now, not ever again.

Instead of throwing out another snappy retort, he walked over and sat beside her, waiting on her to look up again. When she finally did, a disgruntled sigh escaped her throat. "What do _you_ want? I thought you'd left me in here. Like you left me six years ago to become Champion. But that was always your dream, right?"

"No, Mist, my dream was to become a Pokémon Master. Still haven't done that yet. I'm working on it, though. And, well, see, about that…" he trailed off, not wanting to look her in the eyes.

"Yes? Spit it out already! Before your mom comes back in here."

"Look, I have no excuse. I never called, I never visited, and it's entirely my fault." _Wow, didn't expect him to say that._ "The truth is, Misty, it's like I was running away from you. It isn't that I didn't want to see you; it's just every time I finally decided to go, something came up. But I still could've called; trust me, I know. I guess I'm just an oblivious guy who'll probably never learn from his mistakes. I'm sorry Misty. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have ever hurt you."

Misty was amazed by his honesty. But that still didn't change the fact that he'd basically been ignoring her all these years. "What about Brock? You still kept in touch with him. And May. Max. Dawn. Iris. Cilan. Everyone but me. Why Ash? Why?"

"Misty, I was stupid! I-I…" He trailed off, trying to think of the right words to say. "Mist, I'll never forgive myself for hurting you like this. Please, Misty, don't cry!"

He was right. Tears had inexplicably run down her face, betraying the hurt she'd felt all this time but was never willing to admit. "I'm not crying, you dork! I'm, I'm just….thinking." And without another word, she walked off, unwilling to face her old friend any longer for fear of what could happen next.

No, she had to keep pushing him away. It was for the best, since he'd leave her anyway after he found out about her unborn child. He'd be so mad, so hurt because she went behind his back like that, but there was nothing she could do to take it back, and she wasn't going to let some childhood crush control her happiness. Not anymore. The thought stung, and she realized that no matter how many times she'd just called it a 'childhood crush,' it had always been so much more than that.

Instead of contemplating all these feelings or sorting out her broken past, she decided to turn in for the night. Maybe some sleep would help her deal with the things she knew would be coming in the future.

* * *

"_Why didn't you tell me about the baby, Misty?" Ash asked, a menacing bitterness to his tone she'd never heard before._

"_I-I was going to tell you, Ash. I just…" she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. _I just couldn't stand to see you hurt._ The tables had finally turned, and the burden of her decisions weighed heavily on her heart. Why didn't she just tell him?_

_Yeah, he'd be hurt, but that's not as bad as making him wait until he saw the child for himself. "I don't know," she finally answered, looking up at Ash with pleading green eyes. He had finally broken her, and it hurt, more than she was willing to admit. He turned to stomp away, but she grabbed him by the shoulder so he wouldn't go. "Ash, don't leave me. Please."_

_He swerved toward her. His face softened, if only for a moment, but his tone was harsh as ever when he answered, "Maybe you should've thought of that _before_ you decided to keep your baby such a secret from your _best friend._" The comment stung, but not near as much as the expression of contempt Ash was giving her. For some reason, she knew this wasn't about the baby anymore. His wounds went way deeper than that. But then, what was it really about?_

_She had no idea. She was tempted to ask, but he mysteriously disappeared right before her very eyes, replaced by the sinister darkness that had habitually followed every dream of him. She looked around, this time, no blue rose or old hat to hold on to, and for once, she could have sworn she saw a vague figure in the distance as she slowly let herself fall._

* * *

"I have to tell him!" Misty exclaimed, gasping for air as she shot out of bed. _Where did that sudden outburst come from?_ Shaking her head in frustration, she groaned as she made her way to the kitchen, where Delia was cooking pancakes and bacon. "Ash still asleep?" she asked, sneezing. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt sick.

"Why, yes, he i—" Delia stopped when she turned and saw Misty holding her finger up and a hand to her mouth. She was paler than usual, and her breathing was raspier than it had been the night before. "Misty, are you okay?" She ran to the bathroom, and Delia could tell already she was catching something. She walked over to Misty, holding her hair for her until the nausea subsided.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, getting up and brushing herself off.

"Says the girl who just threw up in the toilet," she heard Ash call to her as he made his way down the hall.

"You mean you've been up this whole time?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow at him as he came to stand by the door.

"Hm, would it really be safe to answer that question, Pikachu?" Pikachu shook its head, laughing at its trainer for his immaturity. Misty glared at him, letting him know just how much trouble he'd gotten himself into this time. "Oops, gotta run! Time to eat!" he exclaimed, making a mad dash for the kitchen.

"Oh no you don't, Ash Ketchum! You can't get away that easily!" She started to go after him, but Delia stopped her. She felt her forehead and gasped, grabbing a thermometer and throwing it in Misty's mouth.

"Misty, you need to go to the doctor! You're burning up!"

"But I'm fine, Delia, really. It's probably just…" she trailed off, breaking into a whisper so Ash wouldn't hear. "It's probably just the baby."

"I don't think so, Misty. I mean, I've heard of morning sickness, even had it myself, but you're _sick_. Come on, as soon as you're done eating I'll take you to the doctor."

"But—"

"No buts, Misty. You're going whether you like it or not." She took out the thermometer, and it read one-hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

"Fine," Misty relented, coughing into her hand. She followed Delia into the kitchen, where her plate had already been made. She sat in the farthest seat from Ash, still angry about what was said the night before. Delia sat between them, scolding her son for not waiting on them.

"It's like you're some kind of deprived Snorlax!" Delia exclaimed. Misty snorted in amusement, smirking at Ash with her tongue sticking out.

"Yeah, some things never change," she sighed, taking a bite of her own food.

"What was that?" Ash asked, cocking his head sideways in mock confusion.

"Oh, nothing," Misty replied, coughing again. "Is it just me, or is it kind of chilly in here?"

Delia shook her head, saying, "Here, this might help." She walked over to the coat rack and grabbed one of Ash's jackets. "It isn't much, but it should hold you off until we leave for the doctor." Misty hesitantly accepted, not really wanting to borrow anything of Ash's if she didn't have to.

"Oh, so Misty is sick?" Ash wondered, looking at her incredulously. "I thought she said she was _fine."_

"Must you always be such a _pest?"_ Misty answered, giving him daggers for eyes.

"Well, I wouldn't be me if I wasn't a pest, Mist. Seriously, you should know that by now," he told her, smirking playfully. Misty rolled her eyes, feeling nauseated once again. Delia just sighed in exasperation. This was going to be a longer day than she first thought.


	7. Secret's Out

A/N: A nice long chapter finally! Er, long as far as my stories go anyways. By the way, I changed it to make Misty eight months along in Chapter 1 to keep the story flowing okay. Don't worry about it, I just wanted to mention it so please don't reread chapter 1 thinking I've changed anything else! XD Good luck with Ash's reaction, and thanks so much for reading and reviewing! :) I look forward to hearing what you have to say about this! Plus, I wasn't for sure how to spell cowinky-dink, but hopefully you know what Ash means, even if Misty doesn't!XD

Chapter 7: Secret's Out

"Afraid you were right, Mrs. Ketchum. She's got full blown walking pneumonia," Doctor Kimbrell stated, looking from Delia back to his clipboard.

"Is there…anything that might help?" Misty asked, going into another coughing fit. Ash patted her back, trying to calm it down, and handed her yet another Kleenex. He'd never seen her this sick before, and all joking aside, he was really starting to worry.

"Of course, Ms. Waterflower. A week or two's worth of antibiotics, and you should be better in no time. Oh, and the antibiotics shouldn't hurt the baby at all, in case you're wondering." _Crap,_ Misty thought. Ash stared at her, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Baby? What ba—"

"Well, thank you so much, Doctor Kimbrell. I'll just take the prescription and be on my way," Misty said, avoiding Ash's gaze as she took the piece of paper and ambled toward the door.

"Take care of yourself. That baby's counting on you," answered the kind doctor, smiling at her as she left.

"Uh, thanks. 'Bye now." She dashed down the hallway, not giving Ash any time to catch up. Delia straggled behind the two, talking to Doctor Kimbrell as he explained to her what she could do to help.

"Misty, wait up!" Ash called after her as he raced down the hallway. For a pregnant lady she sure was fast! She was just getting on the elevator when he caught up. Holding his arm out, the automatic door stayed open long enough for him to get on as well. _Here comes the interrogation._

"Baby? What the heck was Doctor Kimbrell talking about? Misty?" He looked over at her, but she kept her eyes averted to the floor, showing more interest in her shoes than the questions he was trying to ask.

"I didn't mean for you to find out this way," she mumbled, barely loud enough for him to hear. "And yet you still haven't put the pieces together." _Huh?_ Whatever she was going on about, it must have had something to do with what the doctor had said.

"Misty, what was he talking about when he said 'baby?'" he asked once more, knowing he'd press her as long as it took to get the answer.

"Fine!" she snapped. "Do you really want to know? I'm pregnant, okay? Jeez, Ash, I knew you were as oblivious as a Slowpoke, but I seriously thought you would've figured it out by now! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that I've blown up like a balloon."

She gave him a blank look, showing him just how peeved she was. He just stared at her, glancing from her belly back to her eyes. Completely in a daze, he was strangely unwilling to believe a word he'd just heard, though the evidence was clear enough in just her appearance. "Are you even listening, Ash?" she asked, waving a hand in front of his face. Then came an awkward silence, probably the first one ever between the two.

Ash was the first to finally break it. "Who?" he wondered, appalled at the thought that she'd been with some other guy in such an intimate way. Instead of answering directly, she randomly decided to try and explain her thoughtless actions.

"We were drunk. Well, I was anyways. It was a big mistake. I did something stupid. And I ended up like this," she explained, holding her belly out of sheer habit. Still not the answer to his question. Figuring she wasn't going to tell him anyway, he decided to ask something else.

"Why didn't you just tell me, Misty?" The words hung heavily in the air, Misty pondering whether or not and how she should answer.

"I didn't tell you…Well for one, you weren't ever around _for_ me to tell you." Ouch, that one hurt. As if he needed another reminder of his big mistake. "And, well, I guess that's about it." _Liar_. The word echoed through her mind as she tried to force it away.

_It's for the best,_ she told herself, though she didn't feel very convinced. She shrugged her shoulders as she stepped off the elevator, heading straight for Delia's silver Corolla. She felt his hand grab hold of her arm, but his grip lessened as he struggled for the right words, for any words really. He finally let go, unable to think of anything, and slowly followed her out to the car. Too bad they forgot that Delia had the keys.

Realizing her mistake, Misty decided instead to lean up against the car, waiting on his mother's return. Ash quickly chose to do the same, leaning right beside her as he watched her stare up at the clear blue sky. "Are you mad at me?" Misty surprised him by asking. What kind of a question was that? He had no right to be mad at her, but apparently she thought he was.

Well, he had to admit, he kind of was mad. Not at her though. Never at her. "Why would you ask tha—"

"Just please, answer the question. Are you mad at me?"

"I have no reason to be mad, Misty."

"Sure you do. Just think about it, Ash. Think about it real hard." _She thinks I'm mad about the baby,_ he realized, raising an eyebrow in amazement.

"I guess I am mad. But not at you. I'm mad at myself for not talking to you all these years. I'm mad because…because…" _I feel like that should be my baby._ What? What was he thinking?

He had no right to think that! He must be out of his mind. _Yeah, that's it, I'm losing it,_ he convinced himself, cutting off the train of thought as abruptly as he had it. "I could never be mad at you, Mist. Not for too long, anyway," he finally said, choosing the safest answer he could think of.

He noticed her face light up, if only slightly, at his words of kindness. "Well, that's nice to hear. Now, are you ready to get out of here or not?" Delia asked as she unlocked the car doors.

"Mom! Uh, how long were you there?" Ash wondered, somewhat startled by her appearance.

"Oh, not too long. Actually, just got here. Now come on! We've still got a few errands to run! Don't make me drag you into this car, mister!" _Same old Mom,_ Ash thought as he clambered into the backseat. Misty took the passenger seat, looking nearly as shocked as Ash when she realized his mother had been listening in on them.

"See you took a few lessons from your son on eavesdropping?" Misty asked, glancing in her direction as she started up the car.

"Why of course not! He had to learn from somebody, right?" Delia answered, winking at Misty comically. Ash just rolled his eyes, embarrassed by his mother once again. Misty laughed, smirking at Delia for being so playful.

"Obviously," she said, looking back at the raven-haired Champion whose face was as red as Misty's hair. "What's wrong, Ash? Meowth got your tongue?"

"WHAT? No, not at all!" he exclaimed, making Delia click her tongue in amusement.

"Well, here we are," Delia told them, pulling up at Pallet's Pharmacy. "I'll only be a sec. Please try not to blow up the car before I get back."

"Don't worry; if anyone would do that, it'd be Ash, of course," Misty smirked, watching Delia roll her eyes and walk away.

"Kids these days," she mumbled under her breath.

"Great, Misty, now Mom thinks I'm some kind of arsonist," Ash joked, looking at her dejectedly.

"Somehow, I doubt that one," Misty sighed as she stared out the window. What she didn't expect to see, however, was a certain petite brunette parking right beside them. "Umiko!" Misty gasped, not wanting to believe her eyes.

"Umiko? Who's that?" Ash asked, making Misty face-palm for the first time in ages.

"The girl in the truck," she answered through clenched teeth.

"Oh, her? How do you know her?" Again, face-palm time.

"She's Gary's girlfriend. Er, she was the other night, anyway."

"Oh." By then, Umiko had noticed the two in the car beside her. Her mouth flung open when she realized who Misty was with. Waving, she got out of the truck as Misty objectively rolled the window down.

"Hey, Misty! What a pleasant surprise!" Umiko said, smiling.

"Aren't you supposed to be with Gary or something?" Misty asked, getting straight to the point. Umiko frowned, not quite understanding the girl's query.

"Oh, him? I left him Saturday night when I found out he was cheating on you with me." Misty nodded, figuring Umiko was the kind of girl to do something like that.

"I'm guessing you found out about the whole thing?" Misty nodded once again, giving Umiko the answer she seemed to have wanted. "Oh, you must be the Champion," she looked at Ash, smiling sweetly.

"Please, just call me Ash," he answered, sighing at the overused title.

"Alright, Ash it is then. Look, Misty, I understand if you're mad or upset with me because of what happened with Gary, but I just wanted to let you know that—"

"Stop with the apologizing, Umiko. I'm not mad at you. I figured Gary wouldn't have told you about me, otherwise I'd probably be pretty peeved at you right about now. Plus, you kind of gave me a second chance at life by breaking us up. And that's something I should be thanking you for, not the other way around. So thanks, I guess."

"Uh, it was no problem?" Umiko replied, unsure of what else to say. She hadn't expected any of _that_ out of the feisty redhead. "Oh well, afraid I must be off! I work here, you know. Feel free to stop by anytime if you like! It does get lonely around the place, with no one to talk to after all."

"Thanks, I'll, uh, keep that in mind," Misty said, half-smiling at the strange girl. "Goodbye, Umiko."

"'Bye, Misty!" Umiko exclaimed, waving at her as she strolled inside.

"Well, that was certainly an interesting conversation," Ash remarked, chuckling lightly. "Pregnant lady befriends cheating fiancée's mistress. What a cowinky-dink."

"A cowinky-what?" Misty asked, somewhat bemused by his playful attitude.

"You know, a cowinky-dink," he said, smiling. "Pikachu knows what it is, right little buddy?" Pikachu shook its head, just as confused as Misty by the strange word. Ash just rolled his eyes. "Thanks for taking _my_ side this time, Pikachu. It's what you would call a _coincidence_."

"Oh. Well why didn't you just say that before?"

"Ugh, this is hopeless," Ash said, face-palming as Delia got back into the car.

"Well then, what did I miss this time?" she asked, handing Misty her antibiotics.

"Oh, nothing," they answered in unison. "Just a cowinky-dink," Misty said, winking.

"Do I even want to know?" Delia wondered, backing up to head for home.

"Probably not," answered Ash, looking at Pikachu and rolling his eyes up at the ceiling.

"Guess I'll just have to take your word for that," Delia replied, making both Ash and Misty laugh in amusement. What a bizarre ride home that had turned out to be.

* * *

When they finally pulled into the yard, Misty could tell something was off. Mr. Mime was sweeping the walkway as usual, but someone else was also there. "Brock must've gotten here a bit earlier than I thought," Delia muttered under her breath, walking through the door. _Brock is here?_ Misty wondered. She hadn't seen him in about a year, since the last Christmas get together at the Ketchum household.

She usually came to see everyone, even though Ash normally couldn't show up because of some upcoming event. Brock and Cilan came early to help cook for it every year, but this was a bit too early to be preparing for an event that wasn't for another day or two. Or was it? With Brock, you just never knew. As soon as she came through the door, the sweet scent of strawberries filled the air.

"Hello there, Brock. Make it in okay?" Delia asked, stepping into the kitchen.

"Oh yeah, Mrs. Ketchum. Mr. Mime let me in after he recognized who I was. And if it isn't Ash! How've you been, Champ?"

"Please don't call me that," Ash replied, sighing. "I love being the Champion and all, but the title gets a little annoying after a while." Misty rolled her eyes, amused by him yet again.

"Hey Brock, long time no see," she said, waving at him. As soon as he saw her, his mouth dropped open in pure shock. "See, told you it didn't take a rocket scientist, Ash," she teased, knowing exactly why Brock was so surprised.

"Thanks for reminding me," he answered dryly.

"I see you two have been quite the busy bees. Tell me, when was the wedding, and why in the world wasn't I invited?"

"Brock, there—"

"There wasn't a wedding, Brock. Now if you'll excuse me," Misty mumbled, feeling sick once again as she made her way to the bathroom.

"Well then…not sure if I like where this is going," Brock sighed. Well, at least he didn't miss his two best friends' wedding.

"It's not my baby, Brock," Ash explained, taking a seat at the kitchen table. Delia had left promptly to care for Misty.

"Oh. Then whose is it?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him as he took the seat across.

"There's the thing. She won't tell me. But I have a feeling it just might be Gary's." Brock looked at him incredulously.

"Gary's? I mean, I knew they were at the party together last year, but I didn't think it'd go _this_ far."

"So they've been together pretty long?"

"Well, about two years I guess. You would know this if you'd actually taken the time to call her every once in a while," Brock answered, scolding Ash for his forgetfulness.

"I know, I know! That was stupid on my part."

"At least you're talking to her now. That's progress."

"Yeah. Speaking of which, how've you been Brock?"

"Pretty good, actually. Opened up my own shop a while back, and I still help out at the Pokémon Center when I can."

"Nurse Joy still dread seeing you every day?" Ash chuckled, recalling how his friend always seemed to fall for every Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny that passed by.

"Er, not as much as she used to I guess," Brock shrugged. "Besides, I got my eye on somebody else right now."

"Who is it this time?" Ash groaned.

"Her name's Cecilia, thank you. She came by the shop the other day, asking if I knew what berry would be best for a burn."

"Chesto, right?" Brock face-palmed.

"Rawst, Ash. Rawst. Anyway, she stops by every day she can, asking anything and everything about what it's like to be a breeder."

"So you haven't scared this one off yet? That's a miracle in itself," Ash laughed. Pikachu rolled its eyes, almost as amused by its trainer as Misty was. Brock just sighed and got up to take the strawberry shortcake out of the oven.

"Back you guys," Misty called into the kitchen as she went to take the seat nearest Brock's.

"Sorry we took so long. It smells delicious," Delia remarked, sitting down by her son.

"Yeah, just like old times," Misty said, glancing over at Ash and Pikachu.

"Hope I didn't impose by coming so early, Mrs. Ketchum. I just had to after I heard that Ash would actually be home this year. So here's your welcome home cake, Ash!" he exclaimed, setting the shortcake in the center of the table.

"Great," Ash answered, grabbing the knife to cut a chunk out.

"Now wait just a second, Mr. Deprived Snorlax, I think you might want to eat dinner first," Delia scolded, pulling the cake farther than he could reach.

"Fine," he mumbled, wondering what Brock had decided to make this time.

"And here we go," Brock said, placing platter after platter on the table. "Dig in everybody!" Brock didn't have to tell Ash twice. After finishing the meal, Misty decided to help Delia with the dishes while the boys ran out the door, mentioning something about running to the store for some supplies.

"Somehow I find it hard to believe they're just going to the store," Misty stated, handing Delia dish after dish to rinse and dry.

"Knowing those two, they could say anything and you'd find it hard to believe," Delia chuckled as Misty sneezed again.

"Yeah. And did you see how Brock looked at me? His eyes looked like they were gonna pop out of his head when he saw me! If that's how everybody's going to react when they see me at the party, I'm not totally sure I wanna be there anymore…" Misty sighed, a worried expression on her face.

Delia looked at her and replied, "Now, Misty, you're going to be there if I have any say so. Besides, knowing May, Dawn, and Iris, you really have nothing to worry about. After all, they'll be too busy gushing over the fact that you're _having_ a baby to worry about _whose_ baby it happens to be. And I really don't think Gary will show up this year. Not after all this. As for the other boys, well, it's just to be expected. I doubt they'll give you too hard a time though."

Misty had to admit, as nervous about it as she was, Delia proved a very good point. "True, and I'm sure May, Dawn, and Iris wouldn't hesitate to knock some sense into them for me if they had to."

"That's the spirit! Now come on; we still have a lot to do before they start showing up! And trust me, after they find out Ash is home, they'll be showing up a whole lot sooner than we'll expect." No sooner than she said this did a certain young couple walk in, a twin girl and boy attached to the mother's legs.

"We're here!" she exclaimed, smiling. Boy, was this going to be an interesting evening.


	8. Early Arrivals, Alarming Surprises

A/N: Sooooo sorry it took me so long to post you guys! Honestly, I've been a bit nervous about it, but the story must go on. Plus finals kind of prevented me from getting on here earlier anyway -_- anyways, enjoy the next chapter! Love you guys!

Chapter 8: Early Arrivals, Alarming Surprises

"Dawn, hey there," Misty said, clicking her tongue in amusement. "It's been too long."

"Misty!" she exclaimed, her mouth flinging open. "I always knew you and Ash would end up together!"

"Piplup!" her water Pokémon Piplup nodded as it hung on to her white winter cap.

"What?" _What in the world is she talking about?_

"I think she's talking about the baby," Delia whispered, walking over to help Kenny set the presents under the tree.

"Oh, no, this isn't—"

"Speaking of Ash, where did he run off to?"

"He ran to the store with Brock," Delia answered, hugging Dawn's neck.

"Figures."

"The twins have gotten so big, Dawn! How old are they now?" Misty asked, trying to strike up a conversation other than about the biological father of her baby.

"Oh, they're two now. Dana, Kyle, do you guys remember Misty?" Kyle just gave her a confused look, but Dana nodded sweetly.

"Misty!" she shouted, mimicking her mother as she ran over to hug her.

"Hey there Dana. You sure do look pretty," Misty remarked, looking into the girl's big blue eyes. Both twins shared their mother's eye color, but they had their dad's reddish brown hair. Dana was wearing a dark green dress with a small red and green headband to pull back her Shirley Temple curls.

"Thank you, Misty! You do too!"

"Uh, thanks. Dawn, you might want to keep them away from me. I kind of managed to get myself sick, and I'm pretty sure it's contagious."

"Oh," Dawn replied, her face falling slightly. "Sorry to hear that. Stinks to be sick around the holidays."

"That's an understatement," Misty heard Ash as she felt two arms wrap around her waist. A bright red flush quickly washed over her face. Why did he always seem to listen in on her conversations?

She swerved to face him, saying snidely, "See you and Brock made it back in one piece? And just how long have you been here exactly?"

"Would I be standing right here if we didn't? And long enough to find out that's _my_ baby," he retorted, winking at Misty playfully with his arms crossed. He just had to hear that part too, didn't he? Pikachu raised an eye at its trainer, wondering where he was going with this.

"Nice to see you too, Ash," smirked Dawn, running over to high five her old friend. "It's only been forever!"

"Yeah, it has been a while, hasn't it? And the munchkins have arrived! Dana and Kyle, right?" Dawn nodded, walking back over to stand by her husband. "Kenny, it's been too long!" Ash exclaimed, waving.

"Uh, sure it has."

"Well, what are we standing here for? Come in, take a seat. There's plenty of room, as you both know," said Delia, gesturing toward the living room. Taking Delia up on the offer, the couple and their two children took up the whole couch, leaving Delia with the rocking chair and Ash and Misty with the loveseat.

Misty begrudgingly took the last seat, which Ash quickly tried to take advantage of. He draped his arm over her neck, smiling at her quirkily. Why was he being such a pesky flirt today?! He's never like this! She sighed, pulling his arm back over her head as she said, "Not today, Ashy Boy. Not today." He smirked at the old nickname, but she could tell she'd unintentionally struck a nerve.

"Way to use Gary's old nickname for me," he answered sourly. What had she heard in his voice? It sounded kind of like hurt, but she knew better than to merely scratch the surface of Ash's feelings. No, she heard betrayal, with just a slight hint of regret. What was going on in that big head of his that she didn't know about?

It made her so mad she wanted to scream, but before she could say anything, the phone started ringing. "Uh, I'll get it for you, Delia," she said, but Brock had beat her to the punch, considering he was already in the kitchen anyhow.

"I got it!" he screamed, picking up the video phone. "It's May!" _May? Oh yeah, that reminds me…I never asked Ash about that paper._ She looked over at him, but he was too busy staring off into space to even notice her questioning glance.

"I thought you and May were…together?" she asked, making nearly everyone in the room face-palm.

"So you saw the paper from the other day, eh?" replied Ash, glancing in her direction. "Nah, it isn't what you think at all. I just went to visit her, since she'd been in Celadon a few days ago. Her baby was with her." She pursed her lips, feeling so stupid once again for jumping to conclusions. "Drew's the father, if you're wondering," he quickly added, answering the question he knew she'd ask eventually.

While it's true that she'd been coming to the party those past few years, Drew had never actually come with May, so Misty didn't even know they were together. So many questions swirled through her mind, but she couldn't seem to sort them out long enough to ask anymore. "Oh yeah, reminding me, did she tell you when the wedding was, by any chance?" asked Dawn, flashing a smile as Dana crawled over to sit in her lap. Wedding? Misty had never heard anything about a wedding. Then again, since when did Misty hear about anything these days?

"She said sometime in January. Around the fifth I think," Ash answered, looking up as if the ceiling had the answer he was looking for. "Oh, and the baby's name is Mine."

"Oh, I just can't wait to see her!" gushed Dawn, clasping her hands together and smiling happily. "I bet she's absolutely adorable!"

"Lup piplup!" Piplup agreed, nodding excitedly.

"Well, May and Drew are in Viridian now, so they shouldn't be too much longer. Gee, now that everyone knows Ash is home, people are coming in like crazy!" Brock exclaimed, walking into the living room. "Strange that Cilan hasn't shown up yet, since he's _supposed_ to be helping me cook."

"Did someone say my name?" A voice asked from the front door.

"Yew, Axew!" a little Pokémon called out, mimicking the connoisseur.

"If it isn't Iris and Cilan!" Delia said, walking over to help with the presents. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Yeah, Cilan. I was just talking about you," Brock mumbled, walking over to greet the connoisseur.

"I heard. Hello everyone," he waved, crossing over to stand by the couch. "Hey, Champ. It's been quite a while."

"Don't call me that," Ash sighed, face-palming. "And yeah, it has. How've you guys been?"

"And if it isn't the little kid himself," smirked Iris, walking over to stand by Cilan, who just so happened to be her boyfriend. Pikachu laughed, greeting the two with a big smile.

"Nice to see you too, Iris. Did you hear? This kid you keep going on about is finally having a kid of his own," he replied, winking at Misty.

"But Ash, you know—"

"Ash Ketchum, the biggest kid I know, having his own kid? Now that's something I'd have to see to believe," Iris answered, glowering down at him. As soon as she glanced over at Misty though, her expression changed. "Wow. I never would've thought—"

"Ash, how could you do this?! You know just as well as I do that this is _not_ your—"

"Calm down, Mist. No need to get so worked up about it. It's fine."

"No, it's not, Ash. They deserve to know the truth. This isn't the way it looks, well, not at all really. Ash _isn't _about to be a father; Gary is, okay?! Sheesh, why would you want to make out like it's _your_ child, Ash? Aside from yesterday, we haven't spoken in _six_ years. There's no reason to hide it, so why would you?"

Truthfully, he had no idea why he kept trying to cover it up, to make them think that he and Misty were finally together. But like he was going to tell her that. So he smoothly changed the subject to one they equally dreaded bringing up: Why _haven't_ they spoken all those years? "Well, excuse _me_ for not talking to you. You know, a phone works both ways, right?" he snapped, and instead of her usual retorts, she just sighed in defeat.

"You're right, Ash. But _you_ were the one who never bothered to give me the number." Why were they even talking about this? They were supposed to be arguing about the baby! At least she could've won that battle. Now she wasn't so sure.

"You could've gotten it from Mom," he bit back, not willing to let it go.

"Yeah? You could've too," she frowned, getting up to walk away. All eyes were on them now, aside from Delia's, Cilan's, and Brock's, who had snuck into the kitchen during the fight. Dawn looked over at Misty in shock, while Kenny and Iris just looked at the two in amusement. The two children glanced up every once in a while, but resumed playing when they found it much more exciting than the scene unfolding before them.

"Misty, wait," Ash said, grabbing her by the hand and making her face hotter than any fever she could've imagined.

"No, Ash, just…forget I said anything," answered Misty, strolling into the kitchen with the delusional cook, the quirky connoisseur, and the delightful host.

"You're still such a kid sometimes, you know that Ash?"

"Yeah, Iris. Thanks for the reminder," he replied as he shook his head in frustration. "What in the world is wrong with me?!"

"Who knows? You never were one to keep your cool. But obviously _somebody_ went just a bit too far this time," Dawn muttered, picking up her kids as she headed for the door. "Tell Mrs. Ketchum we'll be back tomorrow for the party. We have to get settled into the room Professor Oak has for us in the lab before it gets too late. It was nice seeing you guys again!"

"Piplup lup!" Piplup nodded, waving goodbye.

"Come on, Kenny," Dawn mumbled, taking his hand and walking out the door.

"'Bye you guys. See you tomorrow," answered Ash halfheartedly as he got up to head toward the kitchen.

"Pika pi pi!" Pikachu exclaimed, waving at them.

"Not so fast, big shot. Do you really think Misty wants to see you right now, especially after what just happened?" Iris asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He thought about it a moment, then shook his head dejectedly.

"No, not really. I'd be surprised if she ever wanted to see me again," he finally replied, instead deciding to head for his room. Iris rolled her eyes, thinking, _he's such a kid!_ She wanted to follow him, but knew it'd be best to leave him alone, so she walked into the kitchen with the others. When she realized Misty wasn't in there, she decided to try the guest room, and found her sprawled across the bed staring up at the empty ceiling.

"You okay, Misty?" she asked, seeing the troubled expression on the redhead's face. She was normally so full of life, but today it looked like it was a struggle to even lift her head up long enough to nod at Iris. "If it's about what Ash did, I'm sorry _for_ him. He's still such a kid! I doubt he even realizes what he did wasn't right, trying to make out like that baby was his all along. Still, I wonder why he did it. I bet you do too. Do you…know why he tried to keep it such a secret?"

Misty shook her head, looking over at Iris for the first time. Her pale complexion matched a ghost's at that moment, her face flushed not only from embarrassment, but from the sickness she'd woken up with. "I really _don't_ know why he did it, Iris. To tell the truth, I don't think _he_ knows why he did it. He knew it was wrong though. I could tell by the look in his eyes. Those stupid, chocolate-y, open book eyes!" she exclaimed, throwing her pillow at the person standing in her doorway.

Why was she acting like this? And just why did he have to make her so mad?! "Whoa, easy there, Misty. I know you're mad, but wouldn't it be easier _not_ to try throwing the pillow at me?" Why was _he_ there?!

"Ash! I told you not to do this!" Iris shouted, pushing him out the door and locking it behind him.

"I was just coming to check on Misty! She's sick you know!" he yelled through the door. "Can't I at least come in to check her temperature?! Mom sent me to do it!" Iris looked at Misty as if to ask, "Can I let him in?" Misty reluctantly nodded, not trusting herself to speak, since she knew it'd only lead to blowing up at Ash again.

"Fine, but make it quick!" Iris told him, slowly opening the door and letting him inside. "What an excuse. Coming to check her temperature? Yeah, that's believable," Iris mumbled, going back over to sit by Misty, who looked even paler than before, if that was even possible.

"You okay, Mist? You don't look so good," Ash said, looking at her worriedly as he handed her the thermometer.

"Pika pi," Pikachu agreed, nodding its head.

"I'm fine," she muttered, unable to look him in the eyes as she took her temperature.

"You sure?" She wanted to tell him the truth, that she wasn't okay, but she just wasn't ready to cry in front of him. Not yet, anyway. She nodded, trying to hand the thermometer back.

"See? Not even a low-grade fever," she answered, catching his eyes for the first time. He stared over at her, not even realizing she was trying to give it back to him, just seemingly lost in space somewhere.

"I'm sorry, Mist," he apologized, catching her completely off guard. "I'm so sorry for what I did. It wasn't right at all, and I know you're probably so mad at me you want to scream. Just please, hear me out—"

"No, Ash. Just…no," Misty replied, looking away from him so he wouldn't see the tears forming in her eyes.

"But, please—"

"You heard the girl! Outta here, kid! You only came to check her temperature, remember?" Iris growled, pulling his arm and dragging him toward the door.

"Iris! Can't I just say something?! I don't know why I did what I did, Misty, and you know it! I, I heard Dawn mention it, and just…well, I did it. I'd never meant to let it go that far though! Don't you understand? I was stupid! Just like I always am," he finished right as Iris shoved him out the door and locked it behind him.

"You can't make me leave, Iris!" He screamed through the door at her. "I'll be waiting right here," he said, slumping down against the wall.

"Persistent little kid, I'll give him that," Iris muttered, rolling her eyes and walking over to Misty. She was crying, this time unashamed of the tears since Ash wasn't in the room any longer. Iris wasn't a bit surprised and hugged her as the tears soaked through her cream t-shirt.

"I-I should go talk to him," Misty finally said, backing away from the embrace.

"You don't have to, you know."

"Well, there's the thing. I do have to. Thanks, Iris. Thanks for everything," Misty smiled, sniffling as she walked toward the door and unlocked it. "Hope I don't get you sick."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," Iris replied, following her out the door to find Ash and Pikachu leaning against the wall to their left. "You better not try anything stupid, kid."

"You won't have to worry about me, Iris. You're one to talk though. If anyone will always be a kid, it's you," Ash smirked, watching Iris glare at him with daggers for eyes and stomp away.

"Are you sure you want to make her so mad?" Misty asked, raising an eyebrow at Ash as she strolled over to sit beside him.

Instead of answering her question, he glanced over at her and asked, "You've been crying? Is that why you made me leave?"

"Well, I was, but it's not why Iris shoved you out the door. Anyway, why did you stay? I figured you'd have left for the kitchen as soon as you smelled Brock and Cilan's cooking," she nudged him in the shoulder, urging him to head for the sweet scent coming from the kitchen.

"No, I stayed to talk to you. Besides, Mom wouldn't let me near the food if I went in there anyhow. I just wanted to tell you—"

"Save it, Ash. I already know what you're about to say, and it's fine. I know you said you didn't know why you did it, but you and I both know that's a lie straight from the devil. You _wanted_ the others to think we were finally together, so don't bother trying to hide it. Why would you want them to think that, Ash?"

He froze, silently pondering the question over and over in his head. He honestly couldn't come up with a reason why he wanted them to think he and Misty were together. Other than the answer he didn't want to admit. "I guess I wanted them to think that because I…wanted it to be true," he finally replied, standing up and walking toward the back door. She immediately had the desire to go after him, to question it further, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Besides, she still needed time to think about what he'd just said before prodding him about anything else. She slowly clambered to her feet and went back into the guest room, crashing on the bed and falling asleep almost immediately.

* * *

_There was a figure looming in the distance, a figure she couldn't quite recognize because of the fog surrounding them. Her first instinct was to make a run for it, but her curiosity quickly got the better of it. She began to walk toward it, stretching out her arms to keep from bumping into anything. The fog kept getting thicker and thicker, and she felt as though it was about to swallow her whole. She pressed on, unwilling to give in to its suffocating hold._

"_Who are you?" she wanted to ask, but her voice was nowhere to be found. She walked and walked and walked, but no matter how far she went, the figure never got any closer. She broke out into a sprint, trying desperately to catch up with it, but this time it only seemed to grow further and further away with every step. She stopped, trying to catch her breath, when the figure appeared before her, standing tall and covered in shadows, making it near impossible to tell who it was._

_But Misty knew the moment she laid eyes on him. Ash, she thought, looking into the boy's eyes. But somehow he seemed different. There was no spark, no light that usually filled the chocolate orbs she loved gazing into. "Misty, you're hurt," he spoke, glancing down at her bloodied shirt._

_She looked down, noticing the blood gushing out her chest. Her heart. It was bleeding? How was that even possible? She looked back up at him and gave him a look that seemed to explain everything. "I'm sorry," she mouthed, fainting straight into his arms as the darkness closed in on her once again._

* * *

A/N: As a last note, the idea for the nightmare (er, the heart bleeding at least) came from a book called _Sweep. :)_


	9. Heart to Heart

A/N: Again, really sorry about how long these chapters have been taking…As my band director says, "There are no excuses!" but unfortunately, I've been stuck in band camp the past two weeks. -_- And along with learning how to march, I had to learn how to play an instrument for the first time…Anyways, enough ranting, on with the story! Thanks for reading it & I appreciate all the reviews! :D

Chapter 9: Heart to Heart

"Ash!" He swerved to face Umiko, the girl who'd talked to Misty earlier in the car. He met her halfway, waving as she came up.

"Hey there. Shouldn't you be at work?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"I got off, silly! Anyway, how is Misty? She seemed pretty sick when I was talking to her earlier. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine," he lied. _You don't know the half of it._ "Just a little under the weather." Pikachu glared down at its trainer, wondering why on earth he'd lie like that.

"Oh. Well, I hope she feels better," she replied, looking up into his eyes. "You don't look very happy, Ash. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing really," he shrugged, averting his gaze to the sidewalk. Again, another lie. Pikachu didn't like where this was going.

"Mhmm. Sure it is. Did you and Misty have a fight?" _How did she know?_ He started to voice the question, but she beat him to the punch.

"Trust me, I know these things. What was it about?" As much as he wanted to hide it, he strangely felt like he could trust the girl. He walked over to the park bench, gesturing for her to sit by him.

"Might want to sit down. It's kind of a long story," he said, looking over at her. She nodded, taking a seat by him and smiling. So he told her everything, starting from the time he walked into the living room to the time he walked out the back door.

"Sounds to me like somebody's got a _crush_," she cooed, giggling.

"Do not!" he retorted, his cheeks turning hot at the mention of the word _crush. _Pikachu rolled its eyes.

"Well, maybe not. But you have to admit, you have _some_ feelings for Misty, or none of this would've happened." He hung his head in shame, knowing full well just how right she was.

"What should I do, Umiko? All she does is keep pushing me away. I feel like nothing I ever do is right! Of course, I've felt that way for forever now, ever since day one after meeting her. She turned my whole world upside down."

"Hm, why don't you just tell her how you feel? That might help," Umiko answered, swishing her legs back and forth through the air like a little kid.

"There's the thing. Doing _that_ would either end up getting me smacked in the face or ruin what little friendship we've managed to hold onto. I may not have seen her in six years, but she's still the same feisty redhead I know and…love." His throat caught on the last word, letting him know what he'd just admitted to Umiko. "Um, let me rephrase that—"

"So that's it! You still love her, don't you?" Umiko gasped, noticing the blush on his cheeks.

"No! I mean, I don't know! Maybe?" he sighed, staring up at the moon that now hung brightly in the night sky.

"I think you do," she mumbled, running her fingers through her hair.

"Well, it was nice seeing you, but I guess I should be getting home. Party's tomorrow! Come by if you get the chance. It starts at twelve," he told her, getting up to leave.

"Oh, I'll try to come," she answered, smiling. "And Ash?"

"Mhmm?"

"Don't be afraid to ask." And with that, she walked away.

* * *

"May and Drew make it in okay? What about Max? There's another storm heading this way," Ash asked his mother as he sat down at the empty kitchen table.

"Yes, dear. They all went on to Professor Oak's for the night when they heard the storm was coming. Don't worry, you'll get to see them in the morning," she replied, handing him a glass of water. "They haven't seen Misty yet though. She's been in the guest room ever since you left."

"Oh. How is she?" A question he dreaded asking, but had to know the answer to.

"Oh, she…she had a bit of an accident," Delia answered, not meeting his gaze.

"What?! Where is she now? What happened?! Is she okay?" _What about the baby?_

"Still in the guest room. Iris is staying with her for the night. She fell off the bed after a nightmare she had. Bruised her arm, but otherwise she's fine, honey. No need to worry about it." She was hurt, and he wasn't there to comfort her. How wonderful that made him feel.

"Can I go check on her? Or is she asleep again?"

"Well, I think she finally fell asleep. Oh, and Cilan and Brock took your bunk bed, so I made a place for you on the couch. Is that okay?" she asked, looking over at her worried son.

"Yeah, that's fine," he muttered, getting up from the table. "Night, Mom. Love you."

"Love you too, honey. Now get to sleep; we have a big day tomorrow!" She kissed her son's forehead and headed for her room. He slowly ambled into the living room, falling into the couch like it was as soft and fluffy as a cloud. However, he couldn't seem to sleep.

"Pika, pi, pikapi," Pikachu told him, attempting to comfort his trainer's guilty conscience.

"I know it's not my fault, Pikachu. It just feels like it is," Ash replied, staring up at the ceiling. He shut his eyes, letting a tear escape, as he thought about everything.

"Pika! Pi pi pi," Pikachu angrily retorted.

"I get it, Pikachu. Look, we should get some sleep. Love you, little buddy," Ash mumbled, his mind totally elsewhere.

"Pika, pikapi." Pikachu curled up beside him, breathing softly as he fell into a deep sleep. Ash glanced over at him, seeing the serene peace on his furry friend's face, and wished for once that he was as worry-free as his best friend. He rolled back over and closed his eyes, ready for sleep to take him away. _I hope you're okay Misty. I'm so sorry I wasn't there,_ were his last thoughts as he quietly drifted into a deep slumber, awaiting the great day to come.

* * *

Morning couldn't come any sooner, at least, as far as Ash was concerned. He was anxious to see Misty, to know for sure she was okay. He'd woken up around four, and swirling thoughts prevented him from any sleep, so he waited and waited until dawn to go check on her. When daybreak finally came, he crawled quietly out of the covers, not wanting to wake Pikachu. "Cha," the little Pokémon yawned, looking up at its trainer.

"Everything's fine, Pikachu. Go back to sleep," he said, ruffling Pikachu's fur. Pikachu heedlessly obeyed, shutting its eyes and curling back into a ball. Ash sighed silently and headed straight for the guest room, where he knew Iris and Misty would be. He tiptoed inside, careful not to make a sound, and made his way over to Misty.

She stirred slightly at his touch, mumbling a word that sounded vaguely like his name. He raised an eyebrow, wondering what she could be dreaming about that would involve _him_ of all people, and looked over her arm, trying to find the bruise his mother had been talking about. But there wasn't just one bruise, he noticed, there were _many_ of them. He brushed her cheek with his lips, hoping not to wake her, and quietly started to head out. Until Iris stopped him, that is.

"What are you doing in here?" she snapped, rubbing her eyes in disbelief.

"Um, I was just, uh, I was just leaving," he replied, turning his face toward the peacefully sleeping redhead.

"Well, I can see that! I mean what are you doing in this room?" she pressed on, glaring at him boldly.

"I came to check on Misty, jeesh! Why else would I want to be in here? Certainly not to be called a little kid again," he retorted, staring straight back at her in defiance.

"But why would you come check on her? Oh…Mrs. Ketchum told you what happened, didn't she?" Iris asked, turning to glance back at Misty, who seemed to be struggling for some reason.

"Mhmm." He looked over at her, surprised by the furrowing of her brows and the clenching of her teeth.

"Looks to me like she's having—"

"Another nightmare," Ash finished, crossing back over to stand by her. "Should we wake her?"

"Well, duh. Would you want to be stuck in a nightmare like that? I don't think so," Iris shook her head in disgust.

"Alright then. She better not kill me for this," he answered, giving Iris a baleful glance. "Or I'll tell her it was your idea." Iris smirked at him, annoyed by his timeless immaturity.

"Just get on with it!"

"Alright, alright," Ash sighed, holding his hands up in surrender. He rested his hand on her uninjured arm, and tried shaking her awake. "Misty, Misty, wake up! Misty!" She swatted him away, mumbling something about being sorry.

"Mist, you gotta wake up! It's me, Ash! Please get up. Don't make me bring Pikachu in here!" She shot up, her heart racing ninety to nothing as she flew out of her dreams and back into reality.

"Ash! Don't scare me like that!" she exclaimed, popping him on the arm as she glared at him.

"Yow! Gee, Misty, I was only trying to help! You were having another nightmare!" he retorted, glancing over at Iris. "Besides, it was Iris's idea!" But she didn't bother to hear the last sentence. She was still hung up on the word _nightmare._

"Wait, how did you know I was having _another_ nightmare? And why are you even in here in the first place?" she questioned, squinting up at him angrily.

"Mom, she told me what happened last night…" he trailed off, staring down at his feet. "I, uh, came to check on you…I guess I'll go now." He turned to walk away, but felt a weak tugging at his arm to come back.

"You came…to check on me?" Misty asked incredulously, not totally believing what he'd said.

"Well, yeah, Mist. Why else would I be in here? As I told Iris, I didn't come in here to be called a kid again," he replied, glaring over at the giggling Dragon trainer.

"Oh." Misty looked away, ruffling her covers absentmindedly as he stood there silently, unsure of what else to say.

"So, uh, what was your nightmare about?" Ash wondered, making Iris face-palm.

"Seriously? Why would you ask someone a question like that?! She probably doesn't—"

"It's fine, Iris. I mean, it wasn't that bad really. Just like all the others. I run into the same guy every time, when everything suddenly goes black. Not that big a deal," Misty answered, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Wait, you've had more nightmares than this? And what guy?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "It's not like you to hide something like that from me."

"It isn't? Hm, sure could've fooled me," Iris remarked, making Misty roll her eyes in aggravation.

"Yeah, I've had a few more…and it was nobody, Ash. Just somebody I once had a crush on," she mumbled, barely loud enough for him to catch the last few words. He cocked his head to the side, wondering who in the world she could be talking about.

_Hmmm, Rudy? No, why would he be in there? She's only met him once! At least, as far as I know… What about, oh, what's his name? Danny? _

"But I thought you said it was—" Misty quickly put a hand over Iris's mouth, making sure Ash couldn't hear what she was about to say. She glared over at her, making Iris swiftly take back what she'd said. "I mean, never mind."

"No, I want to know, Misty. Who was it? I can't think of anybody you'd have a crush on. Except Danny or Rudy…" he grumbled, looking away.

"It…wasn't either of them, Ash," she answered, face-palming. "You really want to know?" He nodded, knowing it'd kill him if he didn't find out sooner or later. Iris gave her a confused expression, wondering where this was going.

"Well, I'll give you a hint. The guy never knows when to quit while he's ahead. He's stubborn, absolutely _hates_ being wrong, especially when he's arguing with me. He always does things without thinking, and I honestly think he's kind of a jinx during some of the craziest situations. But, he also loves his Pokémon like they're family, and would do anything for them. He's caring through all that stubbornness, and sweeter than almost anybody I know. He's totally clueless, and has a tendency to get lost in the woods. Plus, he kind of destroyed my bike, oh, I don't know, twelve, thirteen years ago?" She laughed a bit, all those memories returning after years of forcing herself to forget them. He, however, was still seemingly oblivious.

_Hmmm…None of those describe anybody we've ever met on our journeys! And who else decided to destroy that bike Nurse Joy got fixed for her?!_ "Still don't know?" Misty asked, face-palming once again. Iris was readier than ever to blurt out "It was you, idiot!" but she knew Misty would have her head for doing something like that.

Ash shook his head. "Nope. Not a clue. Only person I could possibly think of that destroyed your bike was me, but none of that other stuff fits right."

"You don't think so? I always thought you were too stubborn for your own good, and seriously?! You got us lost in the woods way too many times for you to say that doesn't 'fit right'! And you're just about the most clueless person I've ever met!"

"Ouch, Mist. That last one _really_ hit the spot. But then I go back to this question: Why on earth would you have a crush on me?! What's so special about the kid who fried your bike all those years ago and still hasn't paid you back?"

"Do you _really_ want me to answer that?" she retorted, glaring back at him. It became strangely quiet in the room as Ash pondered what to do next. He finally decided to sit on the bed, as far away from Misty as he could stand.

"Anyway, was it me or not?" he sighed, staring up at the ceiling. He was ninety percent sure she'd never answer him, but she proved him wrong once again as she slowly stood up.

"It was you," she told him. "It really was _you."_

* * *

"It's partying time!" Cilan exclaimed, crossing over to the dining room table.

"Mommy, can't we open our presents first?" Kyle asked, giving Dawn his signature pouty look.

"No, honey. We have to eat first," Dawn answered, setting him and Dana down beside her.

"Good, because I'm starving!" May yelled, going over to sit across from Dawn.

"You're always starving May," Max muttered, rolling his eyes as he sat beside her and Mine.

"She always did have the appetite of a Munchlax," Drew remarked, teasing his fiancée playfully. May glowered at the two, wishing she had a free hand to smack them both with. She finally managed to coo Mine to sleep and laid her in a small red stroller for her afternoon nap. May then proceeded with whacking Max in the head, but stopped short of hitting Drew when Delia entered the room with the food.

"Time to eat!" Brock called out, helping Delia and Ash set the food on the table for everyone.

"Finally," May grumbled, staring down at her empty plate. She then looked over at Misty, still feeling the shock of finding out the girl was pregnant. With Gary's baby, too! She, like everyone else, had assumed the child to be Ash's, but the idea was quickly shot down by none other than the Champion himself. Misty seemed incredibly shocked by the confession, but didn't bother to question it.

They were both still feeling awkward about what she'd told him earlier that day, which explained the uneasiness Misty felt when the last seat ended up being right beside her. Though unexpectedly, he carried on normally, as if nothing had even happened. This not only made Misty slightly curious, but also surprisingly a bit angry at his reaction. It's not like she expected him to go into an endless rant of his undying love for her or anything; but still, she anticipated something quite a bit different from this. After all the plates were passed around and grace was said, Ash nudged her in the arm and whispered, "You okay? You look kinda sick."

"Oh, I'm fine," she muttered, scraping around her plate uneasily.

"You don't seem to have much of an appetite. Sure you'll be fine?" She nodded, taking a bite to appease her friend. Er, whatever he was right now. She still wasn't totally sure what he considered her right now.

He smiled thoughtfully, seeing through her act, but soon gave up and decided to talk about something else. But before he could get anything out, he heard a rough knocking at the door. "Hm, I wonder who that is?" Ms. Ketchum stated, shifting her eyes to Professor Oak to see if he'd by chance invited any other guests to the Christmas dinner. He shrugged, also curious about the knock.

"I'll go check," Ash offered, thinking it might just be Umiko. He crossed over toward the door, not bothering to ask who it was. But instead of the petite brunette, it was none other than the cheater himself, Gary Oak. And Ash was less than pleased to see him.


	10. Confrontations

**A/N: I am so sorry this has taken so long to post! I haven't had any Internet whatsoever the past few weeks, and to be quite honest, I've been very nervous about posting this chapter…I felt like it was a bit rushed, but after some lovely ideas and help from my good friend FionnualaO'Bryan, I feel almost satisfied. But a writer should never be totally satisfied, right? *sigh* anyway, enjoy this next chapter, and I promise to get 11 up as soon as I can (No promises on how soon though!) I look forward to each and every one of your opinions! :D**

**And for those of you who might get a bit confused like one of my friends did, the italics toward the end refer to a flashback of Chapter 9 when Misty admitted Ash was in her dreams.**

Chapter 10: Confrontations

"You," he hissed lowly as he glared at the trainer. "You've got some nerve to show your face here after what you did." Ash was more than ready to make him regret what he'd done, but contained it for the moment, not totally sure why. Gary walked inside, shutting the door noisily behind him, confused greatly by what he was hearing. He came for the party his grandfather had invited him to, so he couldn't understand why Ash was so angry with him.

"What are you talking abou—"

"You know good and well what I'm talking about you no good cheater!" he screamed, coming across way louder than he'd originally intended. Apparently the others heard him, because Brock, Pikachu, and Misty soon ambled into the living room. Gary gasped in disbelief when he saw Misty out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh. _That's_ why you're so worked up, Ashy Boy?" he teased, knowing full well how badly that nickname bugged his rival. "You're the one who left her six years ago to become Kanto's Champion. How does it feel to be on top now, eh? You lost her, and I'm surprised she came crawling back to you as easily as she did. I thought she would've fought you harder than this, shown a little more of that backbone she has. After all, you're the reason she cries, the reason she refuses to sleep at night, the reason she gives up training, not to mention the reason she wakes up from heart-crushing nightmares every single time she goes to bed. Can you even begin to imagine the pain you've put her through? And _I'm_ the bad guy here. Ha," he scoffed, but before he could say anymore, Ash landed a blow straight to the jaw, and had him pinned to the wall.

"Sure, I may not have made the right choice, or went about anything like I should have, but you were the one who got her knocked up and then plotted to kick her out all along _while_ cheating on her behind her back. I don't think you have _any_ room to talk," Ash angrily retorted, giving him daggers for eyes as he tried to decide what should happen next. He looked over at Misty, who seemed incredibly dazed, but he could plainly tell the brokenness she was feeling deep inside over it all.

"He's right, you know," she mumbled, looking away. "I-I think you should…you should go now." That's when Ash realized that no matter how badly Gary had messed with her mind or tormented her heart, Misty still loved him, in a way. She hated seeing Ash do this to her ex-fiancée, and wanted to end it before anyone ended up getting hurt. This realization made him loosen his grip, dropping his arm as he absentmindedly reached for Misty's hand.

She tugged away, watching Gary closely as he turned to leave, rubbing his bloodied jaw. "You think this is the end, Ketchum? You haven't seen the last of me," he snorted loudly, breaking the dreamlike trance. He made for the door, allowing an alarmed brunette inside before he slammed it shut.

"Good grief, Gary's a mess! What in the world did I miss?" Umiko asked, raising an eyebrow at the three standing in front of her. They were all quite a bit taller than her, so she felt rather like an ant awaiting its untimely death as she faced each of them.

"Who invited _her_?" Misty questioned, already knowing the answer as she glowered over at Ash. He weakly smiled back, his lousy attempt of feigning innocence.

"Who else, silly? Ash invited me, if that's okay," Umiko answered, her face falling slightly. "I hope I'm not intruding."

"No. Of course not," Misty muttered through clenched teeth. _Of course you are! _Misty didn't need to wonder why she felt so harshly toward the girl. Sweet as she may be, she was interfering with the only people Misty truly felt she had left.

And though she would never have freely admitted it, she was a very jealous person, and didn't fathom the idea of Umiko and Ash becoming friends. "Oh, you must be the sun! Because you've lit up my world!" Brock exclaimed, kneeling down to kiss a blushing Umiko's hand.

"Brock, that's enough," Misty muttered, pulling his ear and dragging him back into the dining room. She sighed. "Some things never change."

"You got that right," Ash chuckled, scratching the back of his head and face-palming. "That's Brock. Or, the Ladies Man, as we like to call him."

"Oh, well then. Does he...say things like that to every girl he sees?"

"Nah, just the ones he likes. Which is about every Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny in the entire Pokémon World! And don't forget all the girls we've met on our journeys," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, I guess you should come meet everybody. And trust me, they aren't all lovesick lunatics like he is."

Umiko nodded, smiling faintly. "Oh, okay!" She followed Ash and Pikachu quietly, anxious to meet the others. He came to an abrupt halt, stopping just short of the entryway, which made Umiko run straight into him. "Oops, I'm sorry," she whispered, rubbing her nose.

"You're fine. Hey you guys, there's somebody I'd like you to meet. She's a friend of mine and Misty's. Come on out," he gestured, nudging her to the front. Everyone looked up, curious about the new girl.

"Uh, hi there, I'm Umiko. It's really nice to meet you all," she said, glancing over each face she saw. Misty glared at her indifferently; Brock had hearts in his eyes and wedding bells in his ears. Iris glanced over at Misty, and with one look she knew that whoever this girl was, she definitely _wasn't_ a friend of hers. The others smiled warmly, greeting their new guest excitedly.

"How splendid! A new flavor to add to our already delectable mixture of friends!" Cilan exclaimed, clasping his hands together. Iris gave him a meaningful look. "I'm Cilan, by the way," he added, grimacing slightly as her elbow connected with his side.

"I'm Delia, Ash's mom. Would you like something to eat?" Ms. Ketchum asked, getting up to go find another chair.

"Oh no, Mrs. Ketchum, I couldn't impose! Besides, I kind of ate with my family before I came here," Umiko replied, glancing over at the table full of empty plates and cups.

"Alright then. Please, don't be afraid to ask if you'd like anything though." Umiko nodded, already loving Ash's kindhearted mother.

"Well, I suppose I shouldn't have to introduce myself," the Professor remarked, coughing lightly. Umiko shook her head.

"Everybody should know who the Pokémon Professor is," Umiko said, wondering just how much Gary's grandfather knew of the whole affair. Before she could ask, however, she was interrupted by a loud squeal of anticipation.

"Mommy, can't we please please please go open presents now?!" Dana cried, tugging on Dawn's red holiday dress.

"As long as everyone's done eating, honey," she answered, setting the girl in her lap. "I'm Dawn, and this is my daughter Dana, my son Kyle, and my husband Kenny!" She beamed brightly at Umiko, unfazed by the baleful glances she was receiving from Iris and, to a lesser extent, Misty.

"Wonderful to meet you Dawn," she smiled back, waving.

"The name's Drew. This is my fiancée May, and our daughter Mine." He gestured toward the two, giving May a kiss on the cheek. "Oh, and a pleasant surprise, Ash. Never knew you'd gotten a _girlfriend_. After all these years," Drew chuckled, making May glower over at him.

He knew just as well as she did that Misty and Ash had feelings for each other! This wasn't turning out the way it was planned by any means. "She's not his girlfriend, Drew!" Misty snapped.

"She's not, eh? Then why are you being so touchy about it?"

"Here we go again with the whole 'touchy' thing," Ash muttered, face-palming.

"Touchy? Oh, _I'm_ being touchy alright! If only you _knew_," Misty retorted, standing to her feet. "Well, what are we waiting for? The kids want to open their presents, right?"

"Yay!" the two screamed in unison, racing each other into the living room.

"Wait up, you guys! Don't open them yet!" Dawn exclaimed, chasing her two screaming children with Kenny trailing behind. The others quickly followed suit, giving Max an opportune moment to introduce himself as well.

"Hello there, Umiko. I'm Max, May's little brother. I, uh, run the Petalburg City Gym over in Hoenn," he told her, biting his lips nervously.

"Well, nice to meet you, Max," Umiko replied, smiling. Max opened his mouth, but nothing would come out for some odd, asinine reason. Since when did he have so much trouble thinking of something else he could say? He couldn't understand how he suddenly went from a chatterbox of a Chatot one minute to a flailing Magikarp the next.

Before he could find the bravery to speak up though, Dana interjected with a squeak of delight. "Oh, Mommy, thank you thank you thank you so much! I always wanted one of these!" she cried, holding up a plush Piplup and swinging it back and forth. Pikachu looked relieved to find out it was no longer her play toy. Kyle also happily squealed when he found a box of Fire-type figurines underneath his wrapping paper.

"Daddy, look what I got! It's an Infernape! And a Chimchar too!" he screamed, clanging them together like they were about to battle.

"What wonderful presents, Dawn!" May gushed, clasping her hands together. "I can't wait for Mine to be old enough to get her something like that! But we did get her this," she said, pulling out a tiny plush Beautifly and setting it in the waking Mine's stroller.

"And this," Drew added, twining a thorn-less red rose around the stroller's edge.

"You and your red roses," May muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, darling," he replied, handing her a box covered in bright red rose petals with a single thorn-less rose on top. Inside laid the golden ring he'd been hinting at, engraved with their names on the sides.

"Oh, Drew, it's beautiful," whispered May, hugging his neck. "Here, I know it isn't much, but I'd like you to have it." She handed him an elaborately designed box, and inside it he found a gold encrusted watch with shining red roses on the sides.

"Lovely, dear," he replied, smiling. "Love you."

"Love you too!" Dawn jumped when she saw May's present, abruptly remembering something.

"Here's your present, Kenny!" She handed him a small red box with a gold bow on top.

"Yours too, Dawn, so we can open them together," he answered, handing her a Piplup covered bag. She nodded, and both immediately tore open the presents. He got a bottle of Empoleon-themed cologne, and she got a new red and green holiday dress. "As if you don't already have enough of them," he mumbled, unsatisfied with his present to her.

"Oh, Kenny, I love it! Most of all because it came from you!" she exclaimed, kissing his cheek and beaming a smile straight at him. He blushed, unable to think of anything to say. Brock and Max exchanged presents, since neither had come with a date, and Brock managed to ferret out a small orange box for the lonely Umiko.

"For you, Umiko," he smiled, handing it to her.

"You didn't have to, Brock. But how did you…?" She opened the box and found a simple golden heart necklace. How did he get her something when he didn't even know she was coming?

As if to answer her, he replied, "Ash's mother found out you were coming, so she put me in charge of giving it to you. I hope you like it."

"Oh, well, it's beautiful, Brock, I love it," she told him, smiling wanly. She hugged his neck, and soon her eyes caught Max, who'd apparently been watching from afar. "Thank you." She walked off, going to check on the boy who seemed to be getting a crush on her. "I hear you're the brainiac of the bunch."

He smiled, catching her jest. "Yeah, I do know a bit about Pokémon," he replied, pushing his glasses up his nose out of habit.

"A bit? I'm sure you know a lot more than a bit." He rolled his eyes, realizing her attempt at conversation. At least he wasn't quite as dense as the person he looked up to most in this world.

"Well, I guess I do know more than a bit," he answered, laughing.

"Hm, then you must know _everything_ there is to know about Pokémon, right?"

"Uh, I wouldn't say—"

"Because that would be the coolest thing ever!" While he knew how much trouble he could get into for lying, he honestly couldn't pass up the moment.

"Well, sure then!"

"Great! I want to learn more about this Pokémon of mine. It's a Bellossom. Would you mind teaching me?" With an actual topic to talk about, there was no telling how long the little brainiac would ramble on. He was more than willing to share his plethora of information with the petite brunette.

She eagerly listened, seeming entranced by his words, almost as if he were a connoisseur of sorts. Speaking of connoisseurs… "Iris, I found something splendid that I believe you'll just love," Cilan exclaimed, giving her a small green bag.

"Cilan, I told you that you didn't have to get me anything! But Axew was right; apparently you don't like to listen."

"Not at all! Just look at it, will you?" he pleaded, smiling down at her.

"Oh, alright," she sighed, pulling out the paper to reveal a Dragon Tamer pendant. "Cilan, how in the world did you get ahold of something like this?"

"Let's just say I came across it one day and knew I couldn't leave without it!"

"Oh, well, here's yours," she mumbled, feeling as though her present paled in comparison to the beautiful red pendant. It was a brand new sleuthing cap and magnifying glass, complete with the coat and all a soft earthy brown.

"Practical, but thoughtful, Iris. I love it, but how'd you know that I lost my last cap and magnifying glass?"

"Uh…" Truthfully, she'd taken them so she could replace them with this. The cap and magnifying glass he was referring to were both so old and battered that she couldn't stand to see him use them one more time. "A little Pidgey told me?"

"Ah," he nodded, seemingly convinced by her vague explanation. She began to wonder how he shrugged it off so easily, but figured it was probably for the best not to ask. Instead she decided to go find Misty. As she rounded the corner toward the balcony, she stopped short, noticing the redhead and the shadow of a person she recognized as Ash.

"So, uh, Misty, how do you like the party so far?" Ash asked, looking over at the redhead pointedly as they stood on the balcony outside.

"It's great, Ash. Your mother did such a wonderful job with everything," she answered, still feeling awkward about earlier that day. The silence afterward didn't help much, either.

"_It was you," she told him. "It really was _you_."_

"_Oh," he replied. "It was me." The silence was deafening as he took in what she'd just told him. Both wanted to break it, but neither were quite sure how. Finally, Delia broke the silence by walking in to check on Misty again. Seeing Ash there, she wasn't very pleased._

"_What are you doing in here, honey?" she wondered, raising an eyebrow._

"_I came to check on Misty," he told her, looking over at the petrified girl. "I, uh, guess I'll be going now." And so he practically made a run for the door, not daring to look back at the person who'd just confessed her undying love for him._

"Well, I got you a present," he finally stated, breaking the awkward air that had come between the two.

"Oh, Ash, you shouldn't have. I didn't get you anything though," she replied wanly.

"I know, Mist. You deserve it though. It's something I should've given you a long time ago." Unsure of what he was referring to, she nodded blankly. He handed her a simple white box with a silver bow tied around it.

She tentatively pulled the bow apart, quite nervous about what lay inside. Pulling off the top, she was surprised to find a golden white ring, with diamonds scattered around to form tiny shooting stars and under the sunlight she could see the words _Marry me?_ flash knowingly across the inside of it. She dropped the box, going into shock over what he'd just asked, however indirectly he went about it. "Oh, Ash," she breathed, her mind so mangled she couldn't remember any other words she could possibly think to say. She even pinched herself, so as to make sure this wasn't one of her crazy dreams and she wasn't about to fall into an abyss of total darkness.

Seeing her face fall slightly, he could tell this wasn't going to end very happily. "Is that a no?" he asked, shutting his eyes as he expected the blow of a lifetime.

"Yes, I mean, no, it's not a no! I just, well, I didn't expect it. And this is the first week in six years that we've actually spent together. I'm just not totally sure, Ash. You know how much I want to say yes, that I will marry you, but…" she trailed off, feeling the tears form that would defiantly betray her emotions.

Ash's expression dropped slightly. "But what…? It's not like I want us to get married tonight, Mist. We can wait as long as you want…I'll do whatever it takes. I just can't stand the thought of losing you again." And that's when she broke.

"Oh, Ash," she cried, hugging him tight. "Of course I'll marry you, Ash. Don't you know how many years I've waited to hear you say this? And here I am, trying to muddle everything up! I must be a mess, aren't I?"

"No," he lied unconvincingly. "I love you, Misty." Her breath caught in her throat. Since when had he become so hopelessly infatuated with her? It all seemed too good to be true.

"I love you too, Ash," she whispered anyway in his ear as the rain started to fall down on them. And they just stood there, holding each other tight, unwilling to let go of the dream that finally seemed to be coming true.

* * *

"He proposed? Oh Lord, and you said yes? Wait till May and Dawn hear about this!" Iris squealed, hopping up onto the bed.

"You wouldn't," Misty face-palmed.

"I believe I would," Iris answered, grabbing the cordless house phone and dialing Dawn's number.

"Iris!" She put a finger to Misty's mouth as the receiver picked up.

"Hello?" Dawn mumbled groggily. Apparently she'd just been asleep.

"Iris, stop it!" Misty snatched the phone, pressing the off button before the Dragon Tamer could react.

"What is _wrong_ with you, Misty? Don't you want the others to know?"

"Well, I do, but not like this. They're all trying to sleep. And I kind of wanted to surprise them with it myself. Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Iris thought for a minute, trying to decide how to answer.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she muttered, not as excited as she had been originally.

"Look at it this way: at least you're the first to know about it. I doubt even Delia knows about it yet." This made her eyes grow about as big as billiard balls.

"I know who I'm going to tell then." And before Misty could make another move, Iris was out the door, racing down the hallway straight for Delia's room.

* * *

"Tell me she's joking," Delia said, eyeing her rash son warily.

"Eh, somehow I don't think that'd be a good idea. You _were_ the one that taught me not to lie," he replied, looking down at his feet.

"What were you thinking? I mean, I knew it would happen eventually, but right now? She's about to have someone else's child, and you decide it would be a genius idea to propose to her two whole days after you'd seen her for the first time in six years? What made you do this, Ash?" He couldn't lie to his mom.

Not when it was a situation like this. "I just, well, I should've done it years ago, Mom. But I didn't. She said yes, and my mind has been made up for a while now! Besides, after what she told me yesterday, I'm surprised she'll even meet my eyes for more than two seconds."

"What did she tell you yesterday, honey?" she wondered, raising a worried eyebrow.

"Mom, _I'm_ the reason she has all these nightmares. I'm in every single one of them, and it's entirely my fault. In a way, I feel like I should've been the one tortured all these years, not her. That should be retribution for what I failed to say all those years ago." He put his face in his hands, unable to look at his loving mother any longer.

Her face softened, touched by her son's frailty, and she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. "I love you, son. I know it hurts, Ash. I've had those nightmares myself. But unlike your father, you came back, and I'm proud of you for that. Make her happy dear, if that's what you really want. I'm so sorry for overreacting like I did."

"It's fine, Mom. I'm sure I would've done the same thing if my son had decided to propose to a sick, pregnant twenty-two year old," he laughed a bit, amazed at how absurd it sounded.

"I'm sure," she muttered, turning to walk away. "Good night, honey."

"Night, Mom. See you in the morning."

* * *

**A/N: First, I'd like to ask, if you review, was the proposal a bit too quick? It'll be explained in Chapter 11 a bit further as to how he had the ring (not to mention how long he had it!), but still, thanks again to FionnualaO'Bryan for the quirky little "Marry me" Idea that I instantly fell in love with!**


	11. Storm Warning

**A/N: Hey, you guys, been a while. Sorry, but I haven't had any Internet whatsoever!:( I'll be publishing 2 chapters today, partly because I've gotten that much done, pertly because I feel kind of guilty for not posting sooner. These 2 chapters haven't been seen by anybody, and I've had no opinions to go by other than my own. But I do hope you enjoy these next 2 anyway, it's been so much fun writing this! Oh, and the peanut butter pancakes? True story:P Don't forget to R & R please!:D**

Chapter 11: Storm Warning

"Do you not want to tell them, Ash? You know Iris will if we don't, and May or Dawn will be sure to notice the ring…"

"Mist, it's not that. I just…don't think it's best that they know about it so soon. Wouldn't you rather wait until the baby is born?" She nodded reluctantly, understanding the possible implications of getting engaged so soon after breaking off with Gary. All heck would break loose.

"So what do we do? About the ring, I mean."

"As much as I'd love for you to wear it, I really don't know what to do about it." He paused, clearing his throat as Iris walked into the kitchen.

"Wear it if you really want to, but try to make sure they don't realize what it actually is. At least, that might help," she answered, crossing over to meet Ash's gaze.

"Have you been listening this whole time?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, Birdbrain, I just woke up," she replied sarcastically. "Of course I have. I promise not to tell them, just don't be surprised if they figure it out before they leave. Dawn's an absolute blonde, and so is May, but I wouldn't put it past either of them. Or Brock. Especially not Brock."

The chink in the armor. Brock would definitely figure it out the moment he saw the two together. And they could _not_ afford to let that happen. "Well, we could always act like it never happened. Iris and Delia are the only two who know," Misty pointed out. Iris sighed.

"I really don't see the point in hiding it. Everybody knew you'd end up together someday, anyway. It just took about twelve years for you two to realize it." Misty rolled her eyes. Of course everyone knew that.

"I don't know. I guess we'll just see what happens then," Ash sighed in defeat. "They're only going to be here one more day anyhow." _True enough, _Misty realized.

Before they could say anymore, Brock and Cilan rounded the corner sleepily, both still incredibly exhausted from the work they had done the night before. Cooking and cleaning up after fourteen people sure took a lot out of them. "Please tell me Mrs. Ketchum made a wonderful breakfast for everyone to eat?" Brock mumbled, slumping into the nearest seat. Cilan followed suit, muttering something about a Psyduck.

"You guys look beat," Ash remarked, pulling up a chair beside his best friend.

"Sure feels that way," Brock answered, dozing off once again. "We didn't exactly get much rest last night." Ash raised his eyebrows at Iris and Misty, who just shrugged their shoulders in confusion.

"What kept you up so late?" They seemed to avoid the question, instead pointing out how the party went last night.

"Umiko seemed to enjoy it," Brock said, staring off dreamily.

"Yeah, she seemed really infatuated by a certain Brainiac," Iris recalled dryly. Brock rolled his eyes at her mock enthusiasm.

"Did you have fun, Iris?" Cilan wondered, looking down at the Dragon Tamer pendant he'd given her.

"Of course, Cilan! Why wouldn't I have fun?" she asked rhetorically. Before he could decide whether or not to answer, Delia walked into the kitchen, as bright and peppy as ever to start a new day.

"Who wants pancakes?" she asked, clasping her hands together. Everyone nodded, aside from Brock, who was dozing still, so she eagerly started making breakfast for the bunch.

"What about May and Dawn and the others?" Misty wondered, noticing they still hadn't shown up yet.

"Ah, yes, about them. May, Drew, and Max are staying the rest of the day, but unfortunately, Dawn and Kenny will be leaving as soon as they've said good-bye. Johanna is also having a Christmas party for the family, so they have to leave early in order to make it back on time." Well, that prevents one family from figuring out about the engagement. But still, Iris and Misty were sure May could be much more perceptive than Dawn on such things, and knew it would be harder to hide it from her to begin with.

Pikachu stumbled in shortly after, looking as drowsy as Brock and Cilan had been. "Rise and shine, little buddy!" Ash exclaimed, letting Pikachu climb up his arm and perch on his shoulder.

"Pi pi pi," Pikachu sleepily remarked, curling up and shutting its eyes. It couldn't sleep for very long though.

"Morning everyone!" Dawn exclaimed as the kitchen door burst open. Crickets in reply. No one was up to the perkiness Dawn always seemed to radiate, no matter the time of day. Even Delia didn't bother to answer, which came as quite a surprise to the young Coordinator. "I said 'Morning everyone!'"

"Morning Dawn," Misty mumbled, hoping to shut her up. Some even attempted to wave at her. Seemingly satisfied, she crossed over to hug everyone's necks, starting with Delia's.

"I hate that I have to go so soon, but we can't be late for the party. You know how Mom is about being late!" Kenny stood in the doorway, holding the sleeping twins in his arms. It was hard to believe they got any sleep with the peppy, perky Dawn as their mother. But it figured. Kids could sleep through anything.

"Well, Dawn, have a safe trip, and please call to let me know you made it home so I won't worry," Delia told her, letting her motherly intuition shine.

"Of course, Mrs. Ketchum! You'll be the first to know!" Dawn answered, hugging Misty's neck. "Let me know when the baby comes, Misty! And I'll be expecting pictures!"

Misty face-palmed. Dawn was always so excited over the craziest of things. That was like a slap in the face to Ash, who consequently hated the daily reminder that she'd known Gary in such an intimate way. He was to blame, of course, for not telling her the truth sooner, but it never failed to make his skin crawl slightly at the thought of it.

"Of course, Dawn," Misty muttered as she turned to head for the door.

"Well, it was wonderful to see everybody again, but I guess we should get going. See you again soon, hopefully!" she exclaimed, waving to everyone as the door shut behind her.

"Hm, if that wasn't enough to wake everybody up, I don't know what else to do," Iris remarked, pointing out that Brock was still asleep.

"We could always try my mallet…" Misty trailed off, making Brock jump up in alarm.

"Oh, no, that won't be necessary! I'm fully awake!" Misty laughed. She knew that would do the trick.

"Nice to know you've decided to join us for breakfast," she remarked, rubbing her belly out of habit.

"Did I hear somebody say breakfast?" May asked, slamming the door behind her and narrowly missing Max's face.

"Hey, watch it May! I don't want my face as flat as a Stunfisk's due to an unfortunate accident involving a door to the face!" he exclaimed, entering the room beside Drew, who was pushing Mine in her little red stroller.

"Well, you shouldn't have been behind me then." Max sighed.

"Oh no, here comes the Munchlax," Iris remarked as May flashed her daggers for eyes.

"Good morning to you too, Iris," she smirked playfully.

"Why it is lovely, isn't it?" she answered sarcastically, making May roll her eyes.

"I smell pancakes! Please tell me I'm right!"

"Yeah, May, you're right," Misty muttered, rubbing her temples in an attempt to rid herself of the headache Dawn and May had so graciously given her. She didn't know how much longer she'd last before the two drove her completely insane. Delia started setting out the plates, and the ones who weren't already seated sunk into the nearest chair they could find. May snatched the syrup and Ash grabbed the butter before anyone could bat an eyelash. Misty, however, had the urge to try something else.

"Is there any peanut butter, Delia?"

"Well, there should be some in the cabinet…" Delia replied, going to get it for her. "Ah, here it is." She handed the smooth peanut butter to Misty, curious as to what she would do with it.

"Thanks," she smiled weakly, spreading it across her pancakes as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"That good?" Ash wondered, trying to make sure she hadn't lost a few marbles after Dawn and May's outbursts.

"Yeah, my sisters got me to try it. I know it looks weird, but it tastes great! Here, take some," she answered, pushing the peanut butter across the table toward him. Ash looked at it warily, trying to decide what to do.

"Er…" he began. "Sure. Why not?" He spread it over a single pancake, and soon after the first bite became just as enthused as Misty had been. "This really is good!"

"Told you so," she answered, tossing her plate in the sink. "I'll wash dishes if you want me to, Delia."

"Are you sure you're able?" she wondered, eyeing Misty precariously.

"Of course! Even a pregnant lady needs to be able to wash a few dishes!"

"I'll help, Mrs. Ketchum!" May exclaimed, throwing her hand in the air voluntarily.

"Oh, alright. But please don't tire yourself out, Misty. You are still sick, you know."

"I know, I know," she grumbled carelessly, waving off the worried mother. After everyone had finally finished and left the dining room, May and Misty started on the cups. Misty, realizing she couldn't get the ring wet, slipped it off, and May seemed to finally notice it.

"Is that the present Ash got you?" she asked, eyeing it carefully as Misty laid it on the counter beside her.

"Oh, the ring? Yeah…" she trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

"Can I see it?"

"No! I mean, uh, sure. Here," she replied, handing it to May. _Please don't read inside of it, _she prayed, staring up at the ceiling as May looked it over.

"It's hard to believe Ash could pick out something so nice," she commented, laughing. "But I love the shooting star idea. Really unique." Apparently she hadn't seen the inside, and didn't really bother to check, because she gave it back without another word. Misty let out a sigh of relief.

"I know. Makes me wonder just how oblivious he really was back in the old days," she answered, passing May a soapy cup ready to rinse. May snorted.

"Yeah, he really had us fooled, didn't he?"

"Just a bit," Misty remarked, rolling her eyes. "I wonder what else he kept hidden all these years."

"Obviously his love for you," May commented, with an arbitrary tone of nonchalance. "Even though everyone else knew it was meant to be." Misty was momentarily caught off guard. She'd just said almost what Iris had said earlier. Were they really that fated to end up with each other?

Sure, it was nice to think about, but it brought on an uneasiness inside that she wasn't quite used to. Why did it make her feel so strange? She couldn't quite understand it, nor did she really want to. "Yeah…that…" she trailed off, dropping the conversation and hastily finishing up the dishes.

She quickly put the ring back on and followed May into the living room where the others were happily chattering away. About the party the night before, nonetheless. Misty's nerves were a wreck, hoping against hope that Ash would be able to keep his mouth shut about the ring. Thankfully, he did. But she couldn't say the same for Iris. Or Delia.

"The ring he got her last night was so beautiful! Completely unlike the kid to get her something like that," Iris commented dryly. Misty gave her daggers for eyes, knowing full well what she was trying to imply to the others. That something was up between Ash and Misty that no one else knew about.

"Oh yes, Ash really searched for the perfect ring for the longest time. I can't believe he kept it after all these years of not seeing her." _Wait, he'd had it for years now?_ This was new to Misty; she'd thought he'd gotten it specifically for the previous night, but apparently he didn't.

Had he really planned on proposing before then? That's what it seemed like. She looked over at him questioningly, and he just shrugged his shoulders, sporting his sheepishly innocent grin that seemed to explain everything and nothing all at the same time. She elbowed him in the side, causing him to wince slightly. "Thanks for keeping such a big secret all this time. Why in the world didn't you just…forget it. Just forget I even said anything," she remarked, shaking her head as she buried it further into her hands.

"Why didn't I what? Give it to you sooner? Well, in case you haven't realized this, we haven't exactly spoken since we were sixteen, and God knows I couldn't do it then! And it only would've let you down in the end, like I did. And like I probably will again," he sighed, standing up to leave. "In fact, I probably shouldn't have done it. All I'll do is mess everything up again. I just…wanted you to have it now, since I couldn't give it to you all those years ago, and maybe it would finally give me a reason not to leave, not to let you down again. Like it would bind us together like nothing else can."

Everyone except Iris and Delia looked at them quizzically, not quite understanding the whole situation. As far as they knew, it was just an ordinary ring. But it had so much more meaning than that. "Ash…"

"I'm going for a walk. Maybe a bit of fresh air could help clear up a few things in my head. I'll be back soon, I promise." He kissed her forehead, and without another word, grabbed his coat and walked out the door, Pikachu following closely behind. Tears swelled in her eyes, but she couldn't bring herself to cry in front of the others.

Iris saw the pain reflected in them, and knew her idea of bringing up the ring was probably the biggest mistake she could've made. "Misty, I—"

"I'm fine, Iris," she interrupted, her voice cracking slightly. "I'll be in the guest room if anyone needs me." Choking back tears, she nearly ran out of the room, shutting the door behind her as she started to sob.

* * *

She wasn't quite sure how long she'd cried, nor how long she'd been sleeping, but the earsplitting clap of thunder was enough to disorient anyone, as far as she was concerned. It was storming outside, like it had been a few times already, but this was by far the worst yet. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked over at Iris, who'd been waiting on her to wake up this whole time. "Is Ash back yet?" The storm disturbed her in an oddly ominous way that she wasn't quite able to put her finger on, and her primary concern was to make sure he'd made it back safely.

"Not yet, Misty," Iris replied, shaking her head. "Brock, Drew, Max, and Cilan went out to look for him earlier, but came back with no luck. They have no clue where he could've run off to, or why he hasn't made it back." Yet somehow, Misty knew where he was. And she had to go find him.

"The river," she gasped, jumping up. "I have to go!"

"River? What river? And Misty, you can't go! You're pregnant and sick, remember? A storm isn't exactly the best place to be right now!"

"Iris, I have to! No one else knows where he is!" She pulled on her shoes and ran out of the room, Iris chasing after her.

"Misty, you better not walk out that door!" she threatened, waving her fist in the air.

"I'm sorry, Iris! But this is something I have to do!" Misty exclaimed, grabbing one of Delia's coats and stepping out into the pouring rain.

"Misty! Get back here!" But it was hopeless. And there was no way she'd be able to chase after her in that thunderstorm. Still, she had to do something. "Delia! Misty just left!"

"What?!" Delia wondered, wide-eyed with confusion and worry. No surprise though. She saw it coming. "Did she say where she was going?"

"She said something about a river, whatever that means," Iris mumbled, scuffing her foot against the floor.

"The river she fished Ash out of the first day of his journey. Of course that's where he'd be! Why didn't we think of it before?" Delia asked, looking over at Brock expectantly.

"Well, I didn't exactly know where it was, and neither did Cilan. You don't either, do you, Mrs. Ketchum?"

"Very vaguely, but there's no way I'd be able to find it out in this mess."

"But we can't just sit here while a pregnant girl is out there trying to save your son!" Iris growled, frustrated by the whole situation.

"There isn't much else we can do either, though, Iris. At least, not at the moment," Delia pointed out. "I'll call Professor Oak. Maybe he's heard something we haven't."

"Mrs. Ketchum!" Iris exclaimed, clawing at her hair as she tried to get a grip on everything. "I can't wait that long! I'm going to find her!" She went to grab her jacket, and was startled to feel Cilan's warm breath in her ear. She turned to face him.

"Please, don't try to stop me," she muttered, not wanting to make eye contact for fear of what she would find in those bright green orbs.

"I'm not, Iris. I'm coming with you," he answered, wrapping his arms around her. "Sitting around and hoping for them to come back isn't going to help anyone. And as much as Delia acts like it's a bad idea, I'm sure she'd be doing the same thing you are if she was able to. But we're just going to have to do it for her. For everyone."

"But…we don't even know where to look," Iris realized, breaking the embrace and burying her face in her hands. "How in the world can we help like that?"

"You didn't think you were leaving me behind, did you?" she heard a voice ask from across the room.

"Brock!"

"And me!" Max exclaimed, walking over to her. "Drew would come to, but May's asleep and he's taking care of the baby."

"Understandable. Besides, we already have a wonderful mixture of a search party! Now, we'd best get going before the storm picks up anymore," Cilan remarked, handing everyone their coats and heading for the door. "We'll be back soon, Mrs. Ketchum!" And, without waiting for a reply, they rushed out into the eye of the storm.

* * *

"Pika! Pi pi pi!" Pikachu was in a panic. Ash had been swept away by the river, and there was simply no way to reach his trainer without suffering the same fate. He wanted to run for help, but there were no houses or people around for miles.

And even if he could find someone, without any equipment or Water Pokémon to rescue him with, there wouldn't be very much they could do. "Pikachu! Go get Misty!" Ash had screamed, but his voice was drowned out by the violent waters he was currently captive of. He'd managed to grab hold of a lone branch, but there was no telling how much longer it could hold him before he would be swept away again.

Time was slowly ticking away, precious time that was vital to saving Ash's life. "Pika!" Pikachu shrieked, praying that someone would hear his desperate pleas for help. "Pika pi!" Pikachu ran around frantically, shouting as loud as a little electric mouse can, searching for any possible way of helping its trainer while it still could.

"Ash!" he heard a voice scream in the distance. It couldn't be who he thought it was…could it? What was she doing out here in the middle of a hurricane?

"Pi!" it called out in reply.

"Pikachu? Pikachu! Where's Ash?" she screamed back, running as fast as she could toward the Pokémon.

"Pi pi pi!" it replied, pointing at the river that had almost completely engulfed his poor trainer, his best friend.

"Ash! Ash, I'm here!" Misty gasped, rushing over to the water's edge.

"Pi pi pikachu!" Pikachu shook its head, tugging at her to come back before the current swallowed her up too.

"Pikachu, let go! I can do this!" But she knew she couldn't. Not in the condition she was in. Not without sacrificing her own life, not to mention her unborn child's.

And she probably wouldn't make it anyway. She crumpled to the ground, feeling more helpless and defeated than she ever had in her entire life. Pikachu nudged her, pulling at the only Poké Ball in her belt loop. Staryu. She almost forgot about it.

Maybe all hope wasn't totally lost. "Staryu, I choose you!" She tossed it in the air, releasing the only Pokémon her mother had ever owned for the first time in years. She prayed that Staryu could still handle the currents like it used to when she was little, when her mother was still alive. The Starshape Pokémon faced her expectantly, awaiting its trainer's order.

"Staryu, Ash got swept away in the river! Do you see where he is?" Staryu looked over at where Misty was pointing, and nodded for her to keep going. "I want you to go get him for me! That branch isn't going to hold him much longer, I'm afraid!"

And no sooner than she said that did the branch finally snap. "Hurry, Staryu!" It spun into the water, skidding and dancing across the waves with an ease that comes from years of hard practice and a lifetime at sea. Misty slumped against a tree nearby, begging with everything inside of her for him to be okay. Pikachu jumped into her lap, letting her act as a sort of shield from the storm slowly enveloping them, swallowing them whole.

"Pi pi pi," Pikachu murmured, nuzzling against Misty's neck. She could feel his tears glistening against her skin, and knew she was on the verge of shedding quite a few herself. She cradled Pikachu close, unable to watch the events unfolding before her any longer. Hearing Staryu's cry, she turned to face the Pokémon, and saw that it was at the shoreline, grasping a limp and completely unconscious Ash. She stood, running over to Staryu and laying his frail body gingerly onto the ground.

"Ash, Ash, wake up!" she screamed, but already knew it was no use. She'd have to do CPR if she wanted him to live. "Pikachu, I'll take it from here. Go back to the house; make sure they know where we are! And make sure Mrs. Ketchum knows to call 9-1-1, ASAP!" As much as Pikachu hated leaving its trainer's side, it knew that it was no time to ask questions or push a single button of Misty's.

It ran off, using what sense of direction it had to guide itself back through the woods. Misty had become radioactive; naturally intent on saving the one person's life that mattered more to her than life itself, working relentlessly until she was certain he'd make it. Two breaths, thirty compressions, check for pulse, repeat. After nearly six minutes of repetition, she finally heard him stir. She pushed down once more, and didn't even have to look up to know he'd regained consciousness.

He coughed up excessive amounts of water, choking on it as it tried making its way back down his throat. "Ash! You're okay!" she exclaimed, tackling him in an Ursaring-hug as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" _Slap!_ He rubbed his cheek, wondering what exactly he'd done this time to deserve such abuse.

"You had me scared half to death, Ash Ketchum! Don't you ever do that to me again! You almost _died_, Ash!" His eyes widened in disbelief, but there was no denying the truth of the matter. She smiled, thankful that he'd survived such insurmountable odds yet again, and captured him in another ferocious Ursaring-hug.

When she finally pulled away, her eyes briefly met his, and the passion in them was undeniable. His lips crashed into hers, touching with spark and force the likes of which she'd never felt before. Gary's sweet caresses and loving touches couldn't even hope to compare to the fire she was feeling. Just being with Ash was enough to set her soul aflame, but this was enough to engulf her entire sense of self, had they not been fleetingly interrupted by their incoming rescuers. "Ash! Misty!" Iris called, and she immediately broke away from their kiss.

"Over here!" she replied, waving her arm in the air.

"Oh, thank Arceus we found you!" Iris exclaimed, running over to meet them, Cilan, Brock, Max, and Pikachu following closely behind. She hugged Misty and slapped Ash's other cheek, scolding him for leaving like he did and not coming back. "You know better than that! Don't you _ever_ do that again, Ash Ketchum! Your mother is worried sick!"

"Nice to see you too, Iris," Ash answered, rubbing his cheek.

"Oh please, you're such a _kid,"_ Iris retorted, glaring back at him.

"Hey, you are who your friends are, right?" he smirked, shrugging his shoulders. Iris raised an eyebrow, and if looks could kill, he'd have already been six feet under by the time she turned away. The loudest clap of thunder interrupted their reunion, letting them all know that it was time to head back home.

"Staryu, return!" Misty called as the Pokémon went back inside its Poké Ball. "Come on, you guys! We've got to get going!" The others nodded, following her lead as they ran away from the river and back toward his house.

* * *

"Oh, Ash, I was so worried about you! Where have you been?" Delia asked, hugging her son as he walked through the door.

"Well, Mom, I uh, had a little accident," he replied, staring down at his feet.

"An accident? What kind of accident?"

"Oh, nothing really…" he trailed off, scuffing his foot against the floor. Delia raised an eyebrow, letting him know she meant business. "I kind of…fell."

"Mhmm?" she murmured, gesturing for him to go on.

"Into…the river." Mrs. Ketchum stared up at him, wild eyed in disbelief.

"You _what?"_

"I fell in the river, Mom. It's no big deal. I came out just fine."

"Says the boy who almost _died_ tonight," Iris muttered, glowering over at him.

"No need for any reminders, _Iris_," he scowled, saying her name slightly more acidic than he'd intended. She rolled her eyes and glanced over at Misty, who looked like she was on the verge of passing out.

"You okay?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at Misty.

"Oh, me? Yeah, I'm fine. I just feel kind of tired, I guess," she replied, yawning. Right before she fainted straight into Ash's arms.


	12. Hiding Her From the Truth

**A/N: Here's the second chapter for today! I honestly almost forgot about Pikachu in the end, so I had to re-edit it. Hopefully it didn't jumble up anything when I did. Thanks for being so patient with me, you guys, and I can honestly say there will only be two more chapters:( While I've considered a sequel, I want your opinion. It may be a while, but it'll be done, I promise. Don't forget to R & R!:D**

**P.S. To anyone who read this before 3/31/13, I apologize, but I made Giovanni remain boss over Team Rocket. I know it may confuse, but I seriously needed to in order to do what I've planned for my sequel!**

Chapter 12: Secret's Out

When Misty finally awoke, she had no recollection of anything. She was in the guest bedroom still, and Iris was snoring quite obnoxiously beside her. Delia had walked in at just the right moment, coming to check on Misty once again. She seemed to have aged four years since Misty last saw her big brown eyes. Eyes that melted with compassion and lovingkindness, that burned with a glint of tenacity and determination. The eyes of a true mother.

"Oh, Misty, you're awake! How are you feeling?" The warmhearted woman asked as she crossed over to Misty's bedside.

"Ngh," Misty muttered, yawning into her pillow. "Tired. What happened?"

"You passed out late last night after finding and saving Ash from drowning. You don't remember?" she wondered, feeling Misty's forehead with the back of her hand. Misty thought for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"I remember…Staryu saving Ash. And then…" she trailed off, remembering the kiss they'd shared before the others had found them. "Coming back here is the last thing I can think of. Are May and Drew…?"

"They left later last night, dear. Soon as the storm was cleared. May's mother was beginning to worry."

"So Max left too?"

"I don't think so. Not sure why, but he argued with her about staying another day. Said something about a girl he planned to see later on today." _Umiko._

"Oh" was all she could think to say. "What time is it now?"

"Almost time for breakfast. If you're up for it, you can join us. Iris and Cilan are leaving today, and so is Brock. They wanted to make sure you were okay before they left. In fact, Brock is already up. I'm sure he'd love to see you."

She smiled, a warm, glowing, sunny expression that lit up the entire room in a single moment. Misty nodded, returning the gesture weakly in reply. She tried sitting up, which took an extreme effort on her part since every part of her body was screaming in pain, but she managed. She followed Delia into the kitchen, where she saw Brock sitting at the table, downing a cup of hot coffee. "Well, good morning, Miss Sunshine. Have a good rest?"

She chuckled, glad to see Brock's charming personality had survived the storm as well. "Just a bit," she replied, taking the seat beside his as Delia headed back down the hallway. "You?"

"Not as much as I'd have liked," he admitted, laughing. "Cilan has the tendency to sound like a human Snorlax when he sleeps."

"Hm, sounds familiar," Misty answered, referring to both Ash and Iris.

"Pi, pikachu?" Pikachu murmured, rubbing its sleepy eyes as it walked into the kitchen.

"Morning, Pikachu," Misty said, picking it up and stroking it quietly as it dozed back off.

"I'm guessing Ash will be up soon, by the looks of it," Brock commented dryly.

"Maybe so." Misty sighed. "Brock, do you know why he broke off contact with me all of a sudden six years ago?" Brock's eyes widened, and for once, he looked kind of…guilty?

"Uh, well…" he trailed off, but Misty wasn't having any of it.

"Brock," she pressed, glaring at him evenly.

"It was partly my fault. I caught you kissing Gary at his party, Misty, and as his wingman, it was my job to make sure he knew. So I told him. He didn't exactly seem too happy about it. Kind of crushed him, actually. He denied it at first, but then, when he finally figured it out, he ran off, promising himself he'd never speak to you again. I know, kind of childish for a sixteen-year-old, but this _is_ Ash we're talking about. He'd just given up on it, really. And I know that promise didn't keep him from telling you all these years. He just really thought you were happier off if he never showed back up in your life. Obviously, he was wrong."

Misty sighed. How had they managed to get themselves into such a mess? It just didn't seem fair. She didn't bother asking anymore questions, especially since Iris walked into the room before she could, yawning of course. "Morning, you guys. Is that coffee?" she asked, eyeing Brock's mug mysteriously.

"Yeah, Iris, but—"

"Great," she interrupted, taking the cup and downing the rest of its contents. "That hit the spot. Is breakfast ready?"

"Uh…" Brock trailed off, staring at the place where his coffee had been before Iris had stolen it. "Yeah. Fried eggs and bacon, over on the counter."

"Awesome!" she exclaimed, strolling over to the countertop and making herself a plate. "Cilan! Get your butt in here! Breakfast is ready!"

Cilan ambled in shortly after, rubbing his eyes sleepily like Pikachu had done previously. "What's to eat?" he asked, looking over at Iris's plate. "Well, a feast of sorts," he murmured, going over to fill a plate as well. Misty finally decided to eat, and so did Brock, both following Cilan's lead. Soon though, they realized that Ash hadn't made it in yet. And neither had Max.

"Strange. I can understand Ash, but Max isn't one to sleep in like this," mumbled Brock. Misty then remembered what Delia had told her not too long ago.

"I think he went to go see Umiko."

"Ash?"

"No, Brock," Misty face-palmed. "Max."

"Oh, well, I guess that makes sense. What about Ash?"

"I'll go get him," she grumbled, getting up and heading into the living room, where Ash was still peacefully passed out. He looked so serene that she almost felt bad for throwing that pillow in his face. Almost. "Get up, Sleepy. It's breakfast time."

He rolled over, mumbling something equivalent to "I don't wanna," but Misty wasn't going to put up with it. "I said, _get up_." She tugged on him until he toppled off the couch, taking his covers with him.

"Yow, Mist! You really know how to wake a guy," he exclaimed, rubbing his head in disdain.

"Well, you shouldn't be so impossible to wake up. Lucky you're hardheaded, or that really would've hurt," she smirked. "Now come on, or all the food will be gone." She didn't even have to repeat herself. He hightailed it to the kitchen, grabbing a plate, filling it up, and sitting down before Misty even made it back to the room.

"Hm, you're awfully hungry this morning," Misty muttered, taking a bite. A wave of nausea fell over her, and she darted from the table toward the bathroom door. Ash raced in after her, holding her hair as she threw up what little food she'd eaten that morning.

"You okay?" he asked when she'd finally stopped.

"Do I really _look_ okay to you?" she snapped, putting her face in her hands. "Stupid morning sickness."

"Do I…need to go get Mom?" he wondered, staring down at her curiously.

"No, no, I'm fine," she murmured, slowly getting to her feet. He took her hand, walking her back into the kitchen and sitting her down. Then, he did the most unexpected thing, surprising himself even. He kissed her lightly and went to take his own seat. Iris and Cilan just stared; Brock continued eating with a knowing smirk on his lips.

"Are we missing something here?" Iris demanded, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two.

"What are you talking about, Iris?" Misty asked, feigning innocence.

Iris looked at her and laughed, saying, "You _know_ what I'm talking about, Misty. Don't pretend like you don't. Are you two…together?"

"No, Iris," they muttered sarcastically in unison, Ash rolling his eyes up toward the ceiling, Misty staring at her in surprise. She knew about the ring, so why was this such a big deal?

"But what about"—Misty glared at her, cutting her short—"the present?"

"Nothing's changed, Iris," Misty sighed. "We just haven't gotten around to telling the whole world yet."

"You mean, about the wedding?" Cilan asked, making Brock drop his fork and look up at the two.

"Wedding, what wedding?" he asked, glancing over at Misty and noticing the ring on her finger.

"You told him, _Iris_?" Ash wondered, shaking his head. "Lord, it was supposed to stay a secret."

"It's not like it's going to happen within the next month, you know," Misty said. "We were going to wait and surprise everyone. But now, Cilan and Brock both know."

"Does Mrs. Ketchum know?" Brock choked out.

Misty nodded, saying, "Of course! Like we'd get engaged without telling his mother first." Though they really _didn't_ tell her first. Oh well, she knew now, regardless.

"Oh" was all Brock had to say about it. He seemed kind of…hurt? Misty couldn't tell, but Ash obviously knew. Brock soon dumped his plate in the sink and stated solemnly, "I think I'll go take a walk for a while. I'll be back soon."

* * *

"Brock, are you okay?" Ash trailed in after him. He didn't say anything for a while, making Ash begin to wonder whether he'd answer or not. Finally, he spoke up.

"Why didn't you say anything, Ash? Misty I understand, since it's been a few years, but you? You know you can trust me, right?" Ash nodded, feeling stupid for even attempting to hide it from Brock, his best friend.

"Of course I do, Brock! We just…wanted to wait until after the baby is born. Is that too much to ask?"

"I guess not…especially when it's not even your ba—" he cut himself short, noticing the look of disdain in Ash's eyes, and decided to change the subject. "Have you seen Max?"

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "Probably went to meet Umiko somewhere."

"Oh," Brock sighed. "Misty said the same thing."

"Speak of the devil..." Ash trailed off, noticing the two up ahead. "Umiko! Max!" He waved in their direction as he ran toward them.

"Oh, Ash," Max muttered, his face turning red as a Magmar's. "It's you."

"Who else would it be, Brainiac?" Ash smirked, looking over at Umiko. "Nice to see you again."

"Uh, you too," she replied, smiling her big happy smile. "How's Misty?"

"Doing fine, actually. Aside from the morning sickness and all," he answered, glancing down at his watch. "In fact, I'd better go check on her. See you guys later! Come on, Brock." He grabbed him by the ear, pulling him back toward the house.

"Ash! What was that for?!"

"Don't think for one second I didn't see you gawking all over Umiko. You were going to start flirting with her too, if I hadn't dragged you out of there!"

"Your point?" Brock asked, clearly unconvinced that that was a problem.

"Brock, you have Cecilia, remember? And Max has finally found a girl even remotely interested in his photographic Pokémemory. Get over it. Besides, if it doesn't work out with you and Cecilia, there's always Susie Stiles, as well as about a billion other girls on this planet aside from Umiko Lin." Ash sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"You know I'm right, Brock."

"Yeah, Ash. I know." They kept walking toward the house, where Iris and Cilan were waiting to depart.

"You're leaving already?" Ash asked, running over to them.

"Well, Ash, it's a pretty long way to Unova, don't you think? We would've already split, but we just had to wait till you got home so we could say goodbye," Iris remarked. "Well, see you 'round, kid."

"You too, Iris," he answered. She flung her arms around him, giving him one last hug.

"Take care, and I better not get any midnight calls over something stupid you did, you hear?" She wouldn't admit it (to him, anyway), but she was about to cry. She'd really missed seeing him over the years, and getting so close to Misty the past few days sure wasn't helping her emotions either.

"You can count on it," Ash winked at Misty, who was standing at the door with Pikachu on her shoulder. "Good seeing you again, Cilan."

"Always a pleasure," he replied, giving Ash a thumbs up and shaking Brock's hand. "Great working with you again, Brock. I look forward to it next year." He smiled, turning to face Misty. "Both of you better behave. No need for a little Ash to start running around anytime soon," he smirked.

"Oh, don't worry. One's enough for right now," Misty answered, clucking her tongue nervously. Ash gulped.

"Hehe, yeah," he mumbled, pulling away from Iris. "See you later."

"'Bye," Iris said, taking Cilan's hand in hers and walking away. Going back home.

* * *

"Well, Ash, it's about time, I got going too," Brock said, hugging his best friend.

"You don't have to go yet, you know," Ash told him, but his words fell on deaf ears.

"Trust me, Ash. And besides, my brothers and sisters have probably torn the house down by now."

"But Flint and Lola…?"

"_Ash_." Brock was determined to leave, and Ash wasn't about to argue anymore.

"Well, I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you, too. Hey, there's always New Year's, right? I'll bring Cecilia, too, so you can meet her. Is Max ready yet? Max!" he called out to the kid genius. "I promised your sister I'd take you with me, now come on!"

"Fine, fine, I'm coming, I'm coming," he remarked, walking down the hallway as he adjusted his glasses. "See you later, Umiko. Call you when I get home?"

"Sure," she giggled, giving him a hug as she said goodbye.

"Smooth move, Brainiac. Now let's go!"

"Jeez, so pushy! Alright, bye you guys, see you soon!"

"'Bye, Max," Misty replied, smiling brightly at him.

"Pi pi pi!" Pikachu called, waving.

"Uh—yow! 'Bye, Max! Sheesh, what was that for, Mist?" he exclaimed, rubbing his side.

"You were the one off in la-la-land," she commented dryly. Ash rolled his eyes. "When is your mom supposed to be back, anyway?"

"Well, should be soon. She only went to the store."

"Great." Suddenly, she didn't feel so well. "Wait, where did you get those?" she asked, pointing to the scars on his arm.

He pulled away, saying, "Oh. Those. Well…here, there, everywhere. Not really sure I remember, actually," he lied. He knew full well where he'd gotten them.

"_Ash?"_ she pushed. "What happened?"

"Team Rocket happened, Mist! They aren't the petty thieves we used to blast away when we were younger! In fact, Jesse and James aren't even apart of them anymore. Neither is Meowth. Not since Giovanni changed. All Giovanni wanted was to steal until every Pokémon in the world belonged to him when we were kids. Now he's this bloodthirsty creep that'll stop at nothing until he has my head on a silver platter, after all the damage I've done. I'm seriously Public Enemy #1. That's why I took some time off, Mist. That's why I never visited you, or called you. If they found out about you, my entire world would be over."

"But…why didn't you tell me this sooner? Why did you _lie_ to me, Ash?! What if they came for you now? Don't they know where you went?"

"They won't come after me, Mist. They have no idea where I'm at. As far as the world is concerned, I'm MIA. I planned it that way. Mom knows, and our friends, but no one else does. And now that I've officially resigned, they're not going to be as concerned about finding me. I'm no longer a threat to them. And Mist, I couldn't tell you. Not without getting you hurt. I shouldn't have lied, but I had to. To protect you."

"To protect me. As if I haven't heard _that_ before," she replied acidly. "You could've trusted me, Ash! You know that!"

"It isn't that I didn't trust you, Misty! I trust you more than anyone on this planet! I just…I was scared of losing you. I'm sorry." She cried out in pain before he could say anymore. "Misty, Misty are you okay?!" he exclaimed, alarmed by her cry.

"Ash!" she yelled, panting. "I think it's time!" He gave her a confused look, which was apparently the wrong thing to do. "The baby!"

"Oh," he sighed. "Oh! Wh-what do I do?!"

"Car," she breathed. "Hospital. Now!"

"But, I don't know how to drive!" Misty shook her head.

"Better learn fast," she muttered under her breath.

"Pikachu, go get me the keys!" Pikachu nodded, running toward his mom's room.

"Gah, how do I manage to get into these messes?" he wondered, helping her outside and into his mom's car. Lucky she thought it was nice enough out to walk to the store. He cranked the car as soon as Pikachu came back and began to pray. "God, if you're out there somewhere, please, don't let me kill us today. I knew I should've spent more time on this!"

"Great, Ash. What twenty-two-year-old doesn't know how to drive?!"

"As you can see, this one," he answered, backing out of the garage haphazardly. He jerked to a stop, and Misty could feel the blood draining from her face.

"Ash, are you trying to give me a heart attack?! Just drive!" After fumbling around on the console a few minutes, he tried again. It took more time to pull out than it did for him to pull in, it seemed. As soon as they got there, he jumped out and helped Misty inside. Pikachu followed.

"Miss, Miss!" he exclaimed, tapping on the desk, trying to get the receptionist's attention.

"Yes, yes, what is it?" she snapped, not particularly caring for Ash's tone.

"My"—his what, fiancé? Girlfriend? Wife? He didn't know _what_ to say—"she's about to have a baby!" He pointed at Misty. "Can you help her?"

"Right this way," she said, gesturing for Misty to follow her. Ash tried to, but she stopped him. "Not you, sir. You'll need to wait—"

"Why?" he groaned, "Why can't I see her?"

"Is she your wife?" He shook his head reluctantly.

"Then I'm sorry. Rules are rules. Just take a seat and we'll be right with you."

"Ash," she said. "Please don't leave me."

"I won't, Mist. I promise, I'll be right here when they come for me. You can be sure of that."

"I…love you, Ash." There, she'd finally said it. The big L word.

"I love you too, Misty," he answered, kissing her hand one last time and letting her go.


	13. Not Letting Go

**A/N: Next to last chapter you guys! So exciting! As for a sequel, I've decided I will make one, but it'll be a while. I'll still write things, but right now my focus is on two other fanfics I want to publish. I really hope you understand, and I promise this will still have a satisfying ending! R and R please! :)**

Chapter 13: Not Letting Go

"I came as soon as you called." Mrs. Ketchum burst through the double doors into the Waiting Room. "How is she?" Ash had been freaking out inside, and was finally relieved by his mother's soothing voice.

"I don't know. Nobody's told me anything," he replied, running his fingers through his scruffy black hair yet again.

"Well that just won't do," she muttered to herself. "Give me one minute. I'll be back, honey, I promise." She strutted off, looking for the nearest doctor or nurse to scold for such negligence. Ash sighed. His mother _would_ be her usual, assertive self. He just hoped she wouldn't get them kicked out.

Brock came in shortly after, surprising Ash when a spritely magenta-haired girl strolled in beside him. "Guess now's as good a time as any. Cecilia, meet Ash Ketchum and his Pokémon Pikachu."

She waved hello, saying, "You must be the father, right?" Apparently Brock had failed to fill her in on the details of the situation. Ash shook his head.

"Afraid I'm not. The father couldn't make it today." More like he hadn't called to tell the father. But knowing Pallet Town, word travels fast, so he'd be there sooner or later anyway.

"Oh," she frowned. "You're his friend, then?" Again, he shook his head.

"Misty's." Her blue eyes widened slightly.

"Ah" was all she could think to say.

"Mrs. Ketchum here yet?" Brock asked, crossing to sit beside Ash. He pointed in the direction of the hallway.

"Yeah, harassing the hospital staff for not telling us anything so far." Brock chuckled.

"Sounds like her, all right." Cecilia gave a confused look, apparently missing the humor of the situation.

"Couldn't that get her kicked—?"

"We're sorry, ma'am, but you're going to have to leave if you don't go and take a seat in the Waiting Room. We'll be there as soon as we find out something," they heard a male voice say, making Ash click his tongue in amusement.

"Here she comes now," he mumbled as his angry mother came up and sat on his other side.

"People these days," she huffed. "You about have to kill yourself and become a ghost in order to find out anything around here."

"Did you? Find out something, I mean."

"Well, she's doing fine and in a room now, but other than that, I'm afraid not. I guess we're stuck here for the time being." She then noticed the girl sitting by Brock and asked, "And who might this be?"

"Oh, that's Cecilia. Cecilia, this is my mom," Ash answered, pointing her out.

"Hello there, Mrs. Ketchum." She smiled, showing off her pearl white teeth.

"Pleasure to meet you, Cecilia." They sat for what felt like an eternity, until a lone nurse finally walked in and said they could go in. Ash jumped clean out of his chair, readier than ever to see her. The baby, too. "Calm down, honey. All in good time," his mother pacified him, walking down the hallway beside him.

"I know, I know," he murmured, though he couldn't help hiding the excitement in his voice. For a moment, he felt like things were starting to look up.

"Here we are, room 211," she read off. "Why don't you go in first, Ash?" And go in first he did. He flew over to Misty, kissing her forehead in hello. As soon as he saw the baby, his entire heart melted into a jumble of emotions.

He fell in love with her immediately, though the hurt in his heart didn't go away. She wasn't his, no matter how much he wanted her to be. He wanted to be the father he never had, protecting her, loving her, and treating her just as if she were his own. She had her mother's beautiful green eyes, he noticed. She looked up at him, smiling without a single tooth inside her head.

"Do you want to hold her?" Misty asked as the others filed in. Ash nodded, but it kind of scared him. As much as he wanted to, he worried he might drop her; she was fragile as a porcelain doll, after all. He took her in his arms, and as soon as he did, he didn't ever want to let go. Babies just know how to soften a guy's heart.

"What's her name?" he whispered, rocking her back and forth as she began to fall asleep.

"Ansly Marie," Misty replied, smiling down at her daughter.

Pikachu walked over to its trainer, its eyes visibly widening when it saw the little baby. "Cha?" it asked, pointing over at Misty. Ash nodded.

"Her name's Ansly. Would you like to meet her?" Pikachu gazed up at him in disbelief.

"Pi pi pi?"

"Sure, I'm sure, Pikachu! Would I lie to you?" Pikachu shook its head. "Then there you go. Pikachu, meet Miss Ansly, the world's newest Pokémon Trainer." He leaned down and let Pikachu take a peek at her.

"Pika, pika!" Pikachu laughed. Everyone was captivated by the newborn, from loving Mrs. Ketchum all the way to bubbly Cecilia. After quite a bit of gawking over the child, Mrs. Ketchum decided she'd best be getting home. Brock agreed, offering her a ride, which she graciously accepted. Ash had decided to stay a bit longer, promising to bring the car back in one piece if she'd allow it (aside from his still not knowing how to drive, which he conveniently forgot to mention as she kissed him goodbye).

Then the only ones left were Ash, Pikachu, Misty, and little baby Ansly, who had been placed back into Misty's arms. Or so they thought. "I'm going to see my child!" They heard someone exclaim from outside. "And you're not going to stop me!"

"Is that—?"

"It sure is." Gary burst through the door, crossing the room in a matter of seconds.

"And to what do I owe this _pleasure_, Gary?" Misty spat, cradling her baby closer.

"Pleasure? Why, the pleasure is all mine. And who's this little bundle of joy?" he asked, reaching out to take the baby.

"Ansly, and you can't have her!" Misty jerked away, leaving a dumbstruck Gary speechless.

"Who said I wanted her? Can't I just have a look-see?"

"No!" She wasn't about to let this man near her baby, regardless of the fact that half of her DNA belonged to none other than the creep himself. "Leave me alone!"

"Alright, you wanna play that way, do you? Let me have her, Misty!" he screamed, slapping her across the cheek. She winced, flinging a hand to her mouth. She refused to cry out in pain.

"Now hold on a minute. Just _what_ do you think you're doing?" Ash demanded as Gary swerved to face him.

"This isn't your concern," Gary replied acidly.

"Oh, but it isn't? That's no way to treat a lady, Gary. Especially not a way to treat Misty," he answered, glaring at him.

"And who's going to stop m—?" But he never got to finish the question. Ash's fist connected with his face, leaving him momentarily stunned.

"I _am_." Before Gary could bounce back, Ash had him pinned to the ground. "I believe Misty told you to leave her alone. Now I suggest you leave or _else."_ The stark acidity in his tone proved just how serious he felt on the matter. Gary wasn't about to go without putting up a fight though.

"Or else _what?"_ he hissed, glaring up at Ash indignantly.

"Or else I'll just have to show you the door myself," he retorted, pulling Gary up by his collar and pulling him toward the exit.

"You can't do this, Ash!" he screamed. "That's _my_ child in there, not yours!"

"Oh yeah? Who said? Because last I heard you left your ex-fiancé to freeze to death in the pouring rain. While she was pregnant with that baby you claim as _yours._ If she's really yours, then why don't you start by treating her mom right? And slapping her in the face sure isn't _right_, by any means."

"You can't get away with this," Gary replied as he was pushed out the hospital room door.

"Really?" Ash answered sarcastically. "Because I think I already have." The door slammed shut, leaving Gary to bang on it until the hospital staff had to personally escort him out of the hospital. Finally, peace at last.

Ash crossed back over to Misty's bedside, smiling at the sleeping baby in her arms. How she could sleep through all the chaos, Ash had yet to figure out, but he sure wanted to be let in on the secret, if only to escape the complicated life he'd come to live. As if being Champion and being chased by a bunch of bloodthirsty creeps weren't enough on his plate. Now he had a baby to think about, and hopefully sometime in the future, a wife to call his own. Misty looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, shining her bright green eyes up at him. He laughed, a bright, bubbly, unforgiving laugh that made Misty narrow her eyes at him quite crossly. "What's so funny, Ash?"

"Nothing," he answered, "Just thinking about what I'm going to do when I get home. We've got so much to do, you know. Baby clothes, a crib, baby food, the works! We can't just let her starve or run around naked, right?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, _I_ certainly can't allow that to happen," she answered, emphasizing her "I" on purpose. Where was all this "we" stuff coming from anyway? It kind of scared her, but in a weird sort of fuzzy way.

"And then there's the baby shower, I mean, you want to have a baby shower, don't you? We've got to."

"Ash," she sighed. "Baby showers happen _before_ the baby is born."

"So? It's not like it makes a bit of a difference to May or Dawn. You know they'd go crazy just getting to meet her! And Mom, well, as you very well know, isn't about to let you miss out on something like that." Misty rolled her eyes. Ash wasn't the one to bother arguing with over stuff like this. Besides, he'd win anyway, if not from his stubbornness than from his mother's incisiveness on the whole situation.

"No, I guess not…" she trailed off, looking down at her newborn child. Ansly Marie…what? Waterflower? Oak? Or, despite earlier misconceptions, Ketchum? She wasn't quite sure yet. Luckily the doctor hadn't made her decide right away. "Ash…would you mind…if I gave her the last name 'Ketchum'?"

Ash looked at her incredulously. "Why should I? If it takes us fifty years to get married, she'll still be our daughter in my eyes. Even if she isn't. Mine, that is."

As much as her betrayal had hurt, he realized he hadn't exactly been too honest with her over the years either. Plus, to tell the truth, his affection for little Ansly was just a bit bigger than the pain right now. And if she could do that now, then spending the rest of his life taking care of her would be absolutely, one-hundred-percent worth it. Misty looked slightly shocked, either from his insisting it'll take her fifty years to marry him, or from his agreeing to her question; he wasn't quite sure. Probably the latter, though, if he had to guess.

Her expression soon changed, however, as slowly the corners of her mouth turned upward into a grin he instantly recognized as pure joy, a smile so subtle yet so profound it had a certain bioluminescent effect to her entire face. It seemed to glow, bright as the sunlight. No, better yet, it was a star. Small, even dull at first glance, but so unique that it could light up an entire galaxy, or even destroy one in a blink, if the opportunity ever arose (and Misty could certainly do both).

"Oh, Ash," she breathed. "I was hoping you'd say that."


	14. Epilogue: Ansly Marie Ketchum

**A/N: Oh m'Lord! The last chapter of the story...I'm gonna miss writing this terribly D: but I hope you enjoy the end, and maybe, just maybe I'll start on a sequel eventually. I love you guys for staying with it this whole time, and it really means a lot to see how far this has come. From being just a thought to an entire story! Anyways, don't forget to R & R, and enjoy :)**

Epilogue: Ansly Marie Ketchum

_One year later_

That smile. He'd never get over that toothless grin beautiful little Ansie-bug would give him every time she saw him. "That's it, Little Ledyba! You're doing it, sweetie," Ash exclaimed as Misty gave him the evil eye.

"You had to nickname her that, didn't you?" Ash smirked. Of course he did. Anything to drive Misty up a wall was perfect. And what better way than to name her daughter after a Bug Pokémon?

"Not my fault you're Miss Bug-a-phobia," Ash chuckled, watching Ansly take her first steps in their direction. "Come on, Ansie-bug, you can do this! You're almost here!" Misty sighed, annoyed by her fiancé's immaturity. _At least he'd finally learned how to drive,_ she thought. After the Hospital Incident, she forced him to learn in case another emergency required such ability.

Pikachu followed little Ansly, making sure she didn't hurt herself or fall before she got to Ash. He'd taken to becoming her bodyguard, more often than not, and treated her much in the same way he treated Togepi years ago. He hated seeing her hurt, especially despising the loud wails she let out when something went wrong; she was ten times louder than Togepi ever was! She almost slipped, but Pikachu steadied her just enough to stop it. She walked, baby step by baby step, toward the two she'd learned were her mommy and daddy.

"Pika, pi!" the Pokémon behind her yelled, and she smiled when she saw him walking beside her. He was her friend, after all.

"Ansie-bug!" Ash hollered as she toppled over into his arms. "Whoopsie daisies!" He laughed, falling backwards and lifting her up in the air like an airplane. Pikachu crossed over to Misty, who wore a very amused expression, and jumped into her lap.

"Aw, Ash finally found someone his own age," Brock chuckled, walking in with a tray of hot chocolate and marshmallows.

"You're telling me," Misty muttered, watching him blow on Ansly's little belly button to make her laugh.

"Dada," she giggled. Misty's thoughts froze.

"Did she just—?"

"I think she did—"

"She said her first word!" Ash jumped in, sitting up and embracing the little girl. "That's right, Ansie-bug! 'Dada,'" he repeated, finding a new amazement at such a small word. "She called me her 'dada.'"

"Dada!" she screamed, clapping her hands and smiling at him.

"Can you say 'Mama?'" Misty asked, crossing over to sit by Ash and Ansly.

"Dada," she answered, shaking her head. Misty was kind of disappointed. Why hadn't her first word been 'Mama' instead? Ash wasn't even her _real_ 'Dada.'

"Come on, Little Ledyba. Can't you say 'Mama?'" Ash repeated Misty, looking down at the little girl.

"Dada?"

"No, 'Mama,'" he replied, shaking his head. She thought about for a moment.

"Mama," she finally reiterated, "Mama!"

"Well, that's two words," Ash counted, holding up his fingers. "Way to go, Ansie-bug!" He high-fived her little hands, making her giggle again as she repeated the words. Delia walked in, taking a cup of hot chocolate from Brock's tray.

"I hear little Ansly's learned something new," she said, taking a seat by Brock.

"Mama! Dada!" Ansly exclaimed, rejoicing at her newfound ability.

"Well, I'll be! Ash didn't learn his first word until months after he first walked!"

"Yeah, she's something special, all right," Ash remarked, smiling at the thought. "What was my first word?"

"Food. What else?" Misty joked, taking Ansly from Ash and rocking her back and forth. Ash rolled his eyes.

"Really, Mist?"

"Well, it was actually 'Pika.' You were trying to mimic a Pikachu from your favorite kids' show, _Pokémon Channel._ Kind of ironic that you ended up having a Pikachu for your starter almost nine years later."

"Now that explains a _lot_," Misty remarked, lulling the little girl to sleep. "See, Pikachu? It was all meant to be. Written in the stars." Pikachu looked up, as if checking to see if the stars really had stuff written on them.

"It's a figure of speech, Pikachu," she explained.

"Pi," it sighed, a trifle upset by the clarification.

"Yeah, Pikachu. If only things were that easy. I'd look up there for all the answers if I could," Ash added as Pikachu perched onto his shoulder. "Then I'd never screw up again."

"Sure you would, Ash. Even if the future's spelled out for us, we're all going to mess up sometimes." Misty stood, cradling the girl in her arms. "I'll be back in a minute." She walked toward the guest room, where a baby blue crib had been added for the newest little Ketchum. Kissing the little girl's forehead, she tucked her into bed, stroking her auburn curls lightly and smiling to herself.

"Sweet dreams, Ansly Marie. Sweet dreams."


End file.
